The Evolution of Everything

Matt Ridley argues that much of the human world emerges from the bottom up, through trial and error, rather than being designed from above. He calls the habit of crediting planners the top-down twitch, and sets against it examples such as geese that fly in V formations and termites that raise mud structures without architects. Drawing on science, economics, history, politics and philosophy, he contends that the Industrial Revolution, the mobile phone, the internet and the rise of Asia were never planned, and that language and common law evolved by a form of natural selection. He extends the case to morality, genes, education, government, money and God. It appeared in 2015 and became a New York Times best seller.

Naval Ravikant called Matt Ridley one of his favorite authors and said he has read, and reread, everything Ridley has written.