Civilization Book Summary - Civilization Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

Civilization summary

Niall Ferguson

The Six Killer Apps of Western Power

4.2 (107 ratings)
20 mins
Topics
Table of Contents

    Civilization
    Summary of 10 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 10

    Western nations have grown exponentially from relative poverty to world dominance over the past five centuries.

    If you had been able to travel around the globe in the fifteenth century, you would have been more impressed with the civilizations of the Orient than with those of Europe. The societies in the East were more culturally and technologically advanced than their European counterparts. Europe was in fact a relative backwater, plagued by conflict among its many states. While China was able to mobilize its workforce to build great architectural projects like the Forbidden City, Europe was struggling with dreadful sanitation and violence.

    Yet towards the end of the century, the nations of Europe had begun to grow economically and militarily. Over the next 500 years, the balance shifted overwhelmingly in favor of the West.

    The development of the Western empires is one of the most obvious examples of this phenomenon.  In 1500, the Western nations controlled just 10% of the world’s surface and 16% of its population. By 1900, this ratio had risen dramatically: just under two thirds of the world’s land and peoples, not to mention 79% of global economic output, were under the control of the Western empires.

    Increasingly, the West’s domination stretched into other spheres. Western religion and Western science spread across the globe, with, for example, economic debate having long been dominated by the ideas of three Europeans: Adam Smith, John Maynard Keynes and Karl Marx. Even Western fashion became the widespread norm.

    With this domination, living standards in the West rose compared to those elsewhere. By 1990, the average American was seventy-three times richer than the average Chinese – an extreme reversal of their fifteenth century statures.

    Western nations have grown exponentially from relative poverty to world dominance over the past five centuries.

    Want to see all full key ideas from Civilization?

    Key ideas in Civilization

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is Civilization about?

    There seems to be a crisis of confidence in the West. In the face of the rising power of China, and with a seeming lack of interest in its own history and civilization, many fear that the West has somehow lost it way.

    Civilization aims to explain why the West grew so powerful and dominated the rest of the world. The answer lies with six killer applications, which enabled the West to overcome the rest. Yet vital questions arise: Has the West forgotten these killer apps and will this lead to its collapse?

    Who should read Civilization?

    • Students of history and politics
    • Those who wonder how the West became so powerful compared to the rest of the world
    • Anyone who fears the collapse of Western civilization

    About the Author

    Niall Ferguson is one of the leading and most controversial historians of his generation. He is the author of many bestsellers on financial and political history, including The Ascent of Money, Empire and War of the World.

    In addition to his academic work he has written and presented many highly successful television series based on his books, including Civilization.

    Categories with Civilization

    Books like Civilization

    People ❤️ Blinkist
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked

    Start growing with Blinkist now
    28 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    91%
    Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
    *Based on survey data from Blinkist customers
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial