Hi folks.<snip>
I am circulating a controversial review about a controversial book. Thoughts welcome.
db
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September 28, 2003
The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse
by Gregg Easterbrook
Random House December 2003
Reviewed by David Brin
Sounds good, a review from an author I like about a book from someone I read weekly. I will forward this to my brother, he will love it.
I may not be the thickest book on the shelf (meaning I may have missed this point) but couldn't the noise of a few people feeling worse drown out the quiet contentment of the masses? You do say this: "Only when privation was a mere bitter lake, surrounded by affluence, did it become an outrage." (Had to look up privation, I thought it was a form of private and couldn't understand it in the context.) Bad news sells, but I'd say most people do know how far they'd advanced; especially if they have parents and other older relatives reminding them everyday.
I have a different question. I've read a few opinions stating that the advanced countries are holding back third world countries by forcing them to adopt certain ideas, especially environmental policies. These countries cannot develop the way we did. I can see the wisdom in helping them avoid our mistakes but we cannot build nuclear power plants in places that do not have the infrastructure to support it. I'm just wondering if there are certain obvious, safe, steps that these countries can follow to move towards self-sufficiency?
Kevin Tarr
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