What will I learn about: why our modern era perfectly mirrors the original Renaissance through its unprecedented technological, cultural, and economic expansion?

Understand why our modern era perfectly mirrors the original Renaissance through its unprecedented technological, cultural, and economic expansion.

What will I learn about: the hidden dark side of rapid global progress, from the devastating imperialism of the fifteenth century to the catastrophic environmental toll of the last thirty years?

Discover the hidden dark side of rapid global progress, from the devastating imperialism of the fifteenth century to the catastrophic environmental toll of the last thirty years.

What will I learn about: Learn how the internet acts as the modern printing press, facilitating the fastest mass adoption of technology in history and radically connecting billions?

Learn how the internet acts as the modern printing press, facilitating the fastest mass adoption of technology in history and radically connecting billions.

What will I learn about: Uncover the staggering global improvements in health and wealth, including how interconnected economies and modern medicine have halved extreme poverty since 1990?

Uncover the staggering global improvements in health and wealth, including how interconnected economies and modern medicine have halved extreme poverty since 1990.

What will I learn about: Recognize why periods of immense growth often trigger radical instability and widening wealth gaps, just as the original Renaissance dramatically divided the rich and the poor?

Recognize why periods of immense growth often trigger radical instability and widening wealth gaps, just as the original Renaissance dramatically divided the rich and the poor.

Age of Discovery

Navigating the Risks and Rewards of Our New Renaissance

Ian Goldin, Chris Kutarna

★ 4.3 / 5(31 ratings)

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Technology & the Future Science

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Did you know that the social and technological upheavals we face today almost perfectly mirror the radical shifts of the original European Renaissance?
💡Have you ever wondered why the invention of the printing press holds the secret to navigating the risks and rewards of our modern digital age?
💡What if the key to thriving in an era of global instability was hidden in the successes—and the catastrophic mistakes—of the world’s first Age of Discovery?

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Key Takeaways from Age of Discovery

✓Understand why our modern era perfectly mirrors the original Renaissance through its unprecedented technological, cultural, and economic expansion.
✓Discover the hidden dark side of rapid global progress, from the devastating imperialism of the fifteenth century to the catastrophic environmental toll of the last thirty years.
✓Learn how the internet acts as the modern printing press, facilitating the fastest mass adoption of technology in history and radically connecting billions.
✓Uncover the staggering global improvements in health and wealth, including how interconnected economies and modern medicine have halved extreme poverty since 1990.
✓Recognize why periods of immense growth often trigger radical instability and widening wealth gaps, just as the original Renaissance dramatically divided the rich and the poor.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Age of Discovery

Mind Map

Age of Discovery

The New Renaissance+

Unprecedented Progress+

The Dark Side+

Unquantifiable Hope+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7

According to the book, why was the concept of 'Renaissance Europe' originally crafted by 19th-century historians?

A. To promote the study of classical art and literature.
B. To justify European imperialism and colonialism across the globe.
C. To celebrate the invention of the printing press and scientific discovery.
D. To warn against the societal dangers of rapid technological advancement.

Question 2 of 7

Which set of events does the book identify as the starting point of the 'New Renaissance' around 1990?

A. The founding of the World Trade Organization and the end of the Vietnam War.
B. The global eradication of smallpox and the laying of the first intercontinental fiber-optic cables.
C. The fall of the Berlin Wall, the advent of commercial internet service, and China stepping back into the world economy.
D. The invention of the smartphone and the widespread adoption of social media.

Question 3 of 7

How does the nearly two-decade increase in global life expectancy since 1960 compare to historical health trends?

A. It is slightly slower than the progress made during the Industrial Revolution.
B. It matches the life expectancy increase seen during the original Renaissance.
C. It primarily benefited wealthy nations, leaving developing countries behind.
D. It achieved in a few decades what previously took 1,000 years to accomplish.

Question 4 of 7

What parallel does the book draw regarding wealth distribution in both the original Renaissance and the New Renaissance?

A. Both periods experienced rising average welfare alongside a dramatically growing wealth gap between the rich and poor.
B. Both periods saw a rapid expansion of the middle class due to increased global trade.
C. Both periods successfully eradicated extreme poverty through technological innovation.
D. Both periods saw the lower classes gain significant wealth at the expense of the aristocracy.

Question 5 of 7

The rapid spread of syphilis during the first Renaissance is compared to which modern phenomena?

A. The proliferation of fake news and radical political ideologies.
B. The global spread of diseases like Ebola, financial crises, and cyber attacks.
C. The decline of traditional moral values in urban centers.
D. The mass migration of populations from rural areas to major cities.

Question 6 of 7

How does the story of Girolamo Savonarola and the 'Bonfire of the Vanities' relate to the modern era?

A. It demonstrates the importance of preserving historical artifacts during times of war.
B. It serves as an early example of how technological censorship has always existed.
C. It illustrates how rapid societal changes and disorientation can fuel fear, radicalism, and extremism.
D. It shows that religious institutions are the primary drivers of scientific innovation.

Question 7 of 7

Why does the book suggest that modern progress is sometimes difficult to measure using traditional metrics like GDP?

A. Because global trade has become too complex to track accurately.
B. Because the wealth gap is so wide that average metrics are no longer mathematically reliable.
C. Because governments intentionally hide the economic data of digital goods to avoid taxation.
D. Because innovations like Wikipedia provide immense value and save time, but do not directly generate money.

Age of Discovery — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
21 — We’re living through a modern Renaissance, but it isn’t all beautiful.
32 — New technology transformed the Renaissance world, and the same is happening today.
43 — The New Renaissance has brought better health and wealth than ever before.
54 — Progress may be fast, but it isn’t shared equally.
65 — Renaissance progress created serious problems — and we’re facing them today too.
76 — Fear and uncertainty from rapid change fueled radicalism in the Renaissance, just as they do today.
87 — Despite their downsides, innovation and genius can lead us toward a better future.
98 — Final summary

Age of Discovery Summary & Overview

Age of Discovery (2016) looks back at the European Renaissance of 500 years ago to draw parallels with contemporary times. These blinks delve into the good and the bad while providing a deep historical context that has much to teach us about the “New Renaissance” we’re currently experiencing.

Who Should Listen to Age of Discovery?

Innovators, futurists and historians
Civil servants of all stripes
Students in search of a historical context that helps explain the current social and economic environment

About the Author: Ian Goldin, Chris Kutarna

Ian Goldin is Professor of Globalization and Development at the University of Oxford. He was formerly the vice president of the World Bank, chief executive of The Development Bank of Southern Africa and an adviser to President Nelson Mandela.

Chris Kutarna is a fellow at the Oxford Martin School, specializing in international politics and economics. He previously worked as a strategy consultant at the Boston Consulting Group and currently advises senior executives in Asia, North America and Europe.

Age of Discovery

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Age of Discovery — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Age of Discovery

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Age of Discovery — Full Chapter Overview

Age of Discovery Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Age of Discovery?

About the Author: Ian Goldin, Chris Kutarna

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