Open audiobook cover - The Story of Human Progress

Open

The Story of Human Progress

Johan Norberg

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Categories:
PsychologyHistorySociety & Culture

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Open
Evolution of Cooperation+
Historical Eras of Openness+
Economics of Free Trade+
Threats to Openness+
Solving Modern Crises+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8
According to the text, why did Homo sapiens thrive and form prosperous societies while Neanderthals died out?
  • A. Neanderthals lacked the physical strength required to hunt large prey on the savannah.
  • B. Homo sapiens engaged in trade, travel, and the division of labor, whereas Neanderthals tended to stay close to home.
  • C. Neanderthals had significantly smaller brains and were unable to develop complex language.
  • D. Homo sapiens were the first to develop coordinated stone-throwing to fend off predators.
Question 2 of 8
What does the author suggest was the actual reason early humans began building cities?
  • A. To provide initial security against rival hunter-gatherer tribes.
  • B. To establish centralized religious institutions and temples.
  • C. To force nomadic populations to settle down and pay taxes to a ruling class.
  • D. To build walls to protect the massive wealth already generated by cooperation and the division of labor.
Question 3 of 8
What common historical event led to the closing off and decline of both the Islamic Golden Age and China's Song dynasty?
  • A. A devastating plague that wiped out their urban centers.
  • B. The discovery of new sea routes by European explorers.
  • C. Mongol invasions that caused society to retreat into fundamentalism and closed-mindedness.
  • D. A sudden transition from polytheistic beliefs to strict monotheism.
Question 4 of 8
How did the Dutch Republic achieve tremendous economic success during the emergence of global trade?
  • A. By aggressively conquering neighboring countries and extracting their wealth.
  • B. By isolating their economy to protect local artisans from foreign competition.
  • C. By embracing free trade, tolerance, and accepting diverse groups of oppressed immigrants.
  • D. By relying on their vast, naturally occurring reserves of grain, timber, and oil.
Question 5 of 8
How does the author characterize the global economy and free trade?
  • A. As a zero-sum game where one nation's gain is inherently another nation's loss.
  • B. As a non-zero-sum process where traded goods continue to create unforeseen, ongoing value.
  • C. As a system that primarily benefits nations that are entirely self-sufficient.
  • D. As a temporary phenomenon that inevitably leads to massive global unemployment.
Question 6 of 8
According to the psychological studies mentioned in the text, how do human beings instinctively react when reminded of their own mortality or faced with crises?
  • A. They become more open-minded and actively seek out diverse perspectives.
  • B. They instinctively seek comfort in their own in-group and their fear of outsiders intensifies.
  • C. They abandon authoritarian leaders in favor of more democratic, decentralized institutions.
  • D. They innovate more rapidly to solve the underlying problems causing the crisis.
Question 7 of 8
Why do authoritarian regimes, such as the Soviet Union or North Korea, historically struggle with technological innovation?
  • A. They do not allow the expensive trial-and-error experimentation and entrepreneurship that innovation requires.
  • B. They lack the basic natural resources required for modern manufacturing and computing.
  • C. Their populations are generally less educated than those in democratic nations.
  • D. They refuse to engage in any form of international trade or diplomacy.
Question 8 of 8
According to the author, what was the true origin of China's recent economic boom?
  • A. A carefully executed, top-down master plan by the central authoritarian government.
  • B. The government's decision to aggressively conquer new foreign markets in the early 2000s.
  • C. Grassroots farmers in the 1990s operating as private businesses, which the government was later forced to sanction.
  • D. The mass importation of European technology during the 2008 global economic crisis.

Open — Full Chapter Overview

Open Summary & Overview

Open (2020) traces the progress of ancient and modern human accomplishments, and reveals that behind all of our major advancements is a policy of openness, tolerance, and free trade. You’ll see how, from the Phoenicians to the Dutch East India Trading Company, the free flow of commerce and ideas has led to wealth, innovation, and problem-solving that would have never been possible otherwise.

Who Should Listen to Open?

  • History buffs
  • Those interested in the Brexit debate
  • People keen to know the secrets of innovation and progress

About the Author: Johan Norberg

Johan Norberg is a best-selling Swedish author and lecturer, and a senior fellow at Washington D.C.’s Cato Institute. He is also a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal and HuffPost. His books include Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future (2016), which was named the Economist’s book of the year.

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