num_pages: 352
description: Is civilization teetering on the edge of a cliff? Or are we just climbing higher than ever?Most people who read the news would tell you that 2017 is one of the worst years in recent memory. We're facing a series of deeply troubling even existential problems: fascism terrorism environmental collapse racial and economic inequality and more.Yet this narrative misses something important: by almost every meaningful measure the modern world is better than it ever has been. In the United States disease crime discrimination and most forms of pollution are in long-term decline while longevity and education keep rising and economic indicators are better than in any past generation. Worldwide malnutrition and extreme poverty are at historic lows and the risk of dying by war or violence is the lowest in human history.It's not a coincidence that we're confused--our perspectives on the world are blurred by the rise of social media the machinations of politicians and our own biases. Meanwhile political reforms like the Clean Air Act and technological innovations like the hybridization of wheat have saved huge numbers of lives. In that optimistic spirit Easterbrook offers specific policy reforms to address climate change inequality and other problems and reminds us that there is real hope in conquering such challenges. In an age of discord and fear-mongering It's Better Than It Looks will profoundly change your perspective on who we are where we're headed and what we're capable of.
language: English
title: It’s Better Than It Looks: Reasons for Optimism in an Age of Fear
publisher: PublicAffairs