About the Author

Oded Galor is Herbert H. Goldberger Professor of Economics at Brown University and the founding thinker behind Unified Growth Theory, which seeks to uncover the fundamental causes of development, prosperity and inequality over the entire span of human history. He has shared the insights of his lifetime's work in this field at some of the most prestigious lectures around the globe and has now distilled those discoveries into The Journey of Humanity, which is being published in twenty-eight languages worldwide.

Reviews

A wildly ambitious attempt to do for economics what Newton, Darwin or Einstein did for their fields: develop a theory that explains almost everything ... an inspiring, readable, jargon-free and almost impossibly erudite masterwork, the boldest possible attempt to write the economic history of humanity
*New Statesman*

There will be inevitable comparisons with Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens ... If you need an evidence-based antidote to doomscrolling, here it is
*Guardian*

Journey of Humanity... is only 300 pages long, which considering it covers thousands of years of global history... is surprisingly concise. Its breadth and ambition are reminiscent of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel...and Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens
*Financial Times*

A large-scale survey of human history... The heart of the matter is why some countries grow and some don't... Perhaps growth-mad Liz Truss should have read it. You certainly should.
*The Times, Best philosophy and ideas books of 2022*

Unparalleled in its scope and ambition ... All readers will learn something, and many will find the book fascinating
*Washington Post*

Deeply rewarding and fascinating
*Spectator*

A completely brilliant and utterly original account of humanity's transit from crude beginnings to a deeply divided planet. A vastly readable insight into why our world is as it is. A book for our epoch
*Jon Snow, former presenter of Channel 4 News*

A masterful sweep through the human odyssey, from the origin of our species to the making of the modern world, that answers the ultimate mystery: what accounts for the staggering inequality in the wealth of nations today? Exquisite, eloquent and effortlessly erudite - if you liked Sapiens, you'll love this
*Lewis Dartnell, author of Origins*

Astounding in scope and insight, The Journey of Humanity provides a captivating and revelatory account of the deepest currents that have shaped human history, and the keys to the betterment of our species
*Nouriel Roubini, author of Crisis Economics*

I am in awe of Oded Galor's attempts to explain inequality today as a consequence of such profound forces. A remarkable contribution to our understanding of this mammoth dilemma
*Jim O'Neill, author of The Growth Map*

A wonderfully clear-sighted perspective on progress, past and future, which is essential to tackling today's big challenges - potentially catastrophic climate change and inequality
*Diane Coyle, former Vice Chair of the BBC Trust, author of Cogs and Monsters*

Big Science at its best ... Galor's erudition and creativity are remarkable
*Prof. Steven N. Durlauf, University of Chicago, on Unified Growth Theory*

An engaging and optimistic answer to anyone who thinks that poverty and inequality will always be with us
*Ian Morris, author of Why the West Rules – For Now*

Galor's project is breathtakingly ambitious
*Robert Solow, Nobel Laureate in Economics*

A magisterial account of the evolution of human civilization from its prehistoric origins into the present day. It's a page-turner, a suspense-filled thriller full of surprises, mind-bending puzzles and profound insights
*Glenn C. Loury, author of The Anatomy of Racial Inequality*

In lucid, accessible prose, Galor ingeniously traces obscure influences over centuries ... This engrossing history reveals that subtle causes can have astounding effects
*Publishers Weekly*

A tour de force. This deeply argued book brilliantly weaves the threads of global economic history to deconstruct the rich tapestry that is the modern world
*Dani Rodrik, author of Straight Talk on Trade*

One of the hottest books of the year ahead
*Irish Independent*

Reading Oded Galor's upbeat book I...[was] taken aback by his imagination and verve... great sections of Galor's book are to be applauded... his optimism about humanity shines through
*Observer*

The Journey of Humanity is a good summary of growth theories and is an elegantly written and accessible book
*Irish Times*

Galor argues that climate policy should not be restricted to cutting carbon but should also involve "pushing hard for gender equality, access to education and the availability of contraceptives, to drive forward the decline in fertility". India will do well to heed that advice
*New Indian Express*

The Journey of Humanity stretches from the emergence of Homo sapiens to the present day, and has a lot to say about the future, too. In just over 240 pages it covers our migration out of Africa, the development of agriculture, the Industrial Revolution and the phenomenal growth of the past two centuries. It takes in population change, the climate crisis and global inequality ... There will be inevitable comparisons with Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens ... If you need an evidence-based antidote to doomscrolling, here it is ... Galor builds his case meticulously, always testing his assumptions against the evidence, and without the sense of agenda-pushing that accompanies other boosterish thinkers - the Steven Pinkers or Francis Fukuyamas of this world
*Guardian*

Incredibly wide-ranging and detailed historical and even anthropological examination of the myriad factors that have brought success and failure to nations ... Lively and learned
*Inerest.co.nz*

An optimist's guide to the future ... Oded Galor's 'Sapiens'-like history of civilisation predicts a happy ending for humanity
*Guardian*

Enjoyable and intriguing
*Guardian*

An antidote to doomscrolling
*Guardian, *Summer Reads of 2022**

A great historical fresco
*Le Monde*

Breathtaking. A new Sapiens
*L'Express*

Ambitious and deep ... the product of genuine scholarship
*#1 Best Economics Book of 2022, FiveBooks.com*