[Oprah's Book Club] A Short History of Progress

Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? These are the questions addressed in A Short History of Progress.
It's not very often that you read a book and know that it's a gem. The last non-fiction book to do that for me was the social life of information. Which was an air tight pragmatic summary of all things digital in our world. And how technology actually does change our world but more important how it does not.

A Short History of Progress is a similar calibre of thought. Although it deals with the problem of sustaining our modern civilization.

Pragmatism would be the key thread here. In Wright's book he shows us through history how the modern predicament is as old as civilization itself. With the exposition of history we are able to understand the challenges we face today. But also through that we come to realize that with each failed try our species takes at civilization the cost of it's revival goes up. To the point we are at now where one nuclear warhead essentially ends all possibilities at additional chances.

It's only through careful observation of the past that we are able to understand and guide ourselves through the present into the ever intagnible future. A highly recommend book for everyone and a light read for most at 199 pages.

I also highly recommend the listening to Wright speak on the subject of the book. He is a really great lecturer. However if you prefer to read there is an excerpt from the first chapter:

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Available at Chapters/Indigo for $11.37CAD (~$9.22USD) instead of $26.37USD at Amazon. However it may be delayed by US Customs as subverse Canadian literature. What with the support of the theory of evolution and all.