Nonzero

The Logic of Human Destiny

By: Robert Wright

Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins

At the beginning of Nonzero, Robert Wright sets out to "define the arrow of the history of life, from the primordial soup to the World Wide Web." Twenty-two chapters later, after a sweeping and vivid narrative of the human past, he has succeeded and has mounted a powerful challenge to the conventional view that evolution and human history are aimless.

Ingeniously employing game theory the logic of "zero-sum" and "non-zero-sum" games, Wright isolates the impetus behind life's basic direction: the impetus that, via biological evolution, created complex, intelligent animals and then, via cultural evolution, pushed the human species toward deeper and vaster social complexity. In this view, the coming of today's interdependent global society was "in the cards" - not quite inevitable, perhaps, but, as Wright puts it, "so probable as to inspire wonder." So probable, indeed, as to invite speculation about higher purpose, especially in light of "the phase of history that seems to lie immediately ahead: a social, political, and even moral culmination of sorts."

In a work of vast erudition and pungent wit, Wright takes on some of the past century's most prominent thinkers, including Isaiah Berlin, Karl Popper, Stephen Jay Gould, and Richard Dawkins. He finds evidence for his position in unexpected corners, from native American hunter-gatherer societies and Polynesian chiefdoms to medieval Islamic commerce and precocious Chinese technology; from conflicts of interest among a cell's genes to discord at the World Trade Organization.

Wright argues that a coolly scientific appraisal of humanity's three-billion-year past can give new spiritual meaning to the present and even offer political guidance for the future. Nonzero will change the way people think about the human prospect.

©1999 Robert Wright (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Wright supports his view by drawing on an impressive breadth of knowledge that happily doesn't lord over the text but rather buoys it with interesting connections. Ending with a push of his thesis of progressiveness into biology, of all things, Wright caps a spritely, opinionated big-picture history of human civilization." ( Booklist)

“The Smartest Books We Know” ( Fortune Magazine)

Hard not to learn something by reading this book

The author's survey on early civilizations is worth the cost of the book alone. Societies tend toward more complex organization as they spread their cultural memes. The arc of history tends towards working together by utilizing win-win situations. Constructive coordination defeats the second law of thermodynamics (entropy) for the coordinators. Yes, that's a mouthful, but the author is expert at clearly explaining it all.

The two items needed for economic development, cheap transportation and effective communication, are facilitated by higher population density leading to more growth and technological developments hence an evolving of civilizations.

The book was originally copyrighted over 10 years ago (today is 2012). The book only lost my interest when he was topical and futuristic during about 2 hours of the second half. I was ready to give up and I'm glad I didn't. The book then got really interesting by tying together his major theme on the organization of organic processes. He got into the second law of thermodynamics, and how information and the processing of that information at its core is physical.

His real theme is that cultures evolve by constructive coordination (win-win situations) but he supports that by educating the listener through historical narratives, fine points on economic theory and the importance of information processing for growth.

I enjoyed this book so much I've downloaded his next book, "The Evolution of God".

Game theory logic tackles cultural evolution

This is a refreshing take on human history and cultural evolution, I found it very persuasive. He has a lot to say, and he says it well, with each point flowing logically to the next, making it easy to follow. He doesn't re-tread a lot of ground from his last book (Moral Animal), which is good if you've read that, but I will say it could make it difficult for someone who hasn't. For instance, he doesn't spend much time at all defining what he means in the first place by a non-zero sum game - the very heart of the point he's trying to make - and doesn't give the classic example (the prisoner's dilemma) at all in the main text. He instead directs you to an appendix, which doesn't exist at all in this audio version, so don't bother trying to look for it. Therefore I would recommend this book more to people who have already read some other book where the basic topic is treated more in depth - like Moral Animal, or Selfish Gene. If you are determined to read this anyway, at least google the prisoner's dilemma first. There are some good YouTube videos on it. There's also a fun Game Theory simulation called The Evolution of Trust that I'd recommend.

That said, I found this book fascinating, eye-opening, and perspective-altering! Much of it has to do with long-term human history, viewed from the perspective of cultural evolution by way of "non-zero-sumness". It may make you look at history in a different light! I particularly liked his treatment of the so-called Dark Ages, and all the technological innovation that was actually taking place. A lot of people have complained about the last part of the book where he strays from strict factual interpretation to speculation and philosophy. But I think if you can get over yourself enough to listen with an open mind he has some interesting things to say in that section as well. For example there was a cool thought experiment that made me question my flippant dismissal of the "hard problem" and "mystery" of consciousness. Plus, even if you disagree with him, it's interesting to hear and think about. I do wish he'd write an update, as this was originally published in 2001. But it's still relevant, and an overall great book!

Idea is beautiful and worth ruminating.

Idea is beautiful and worth ruminating. A lot of interesting links. Sometimes a little bit fuzzy, but still ok.

Wow

From history to philosophy passing through biology and economics. This book is an eye opener cheaper after chapter. Definitely the best I've found in a long time.

Worth reading twice, twenty years apart

Robert Wright does as good a job as anyone yet at arguing for the sanctity, or perhaps simply the existence, of a direction to human experience, without an ounce of offense given to the sensitive secular mind. Everybody should read this book. You should too.

Brilliant and dumb at the same yime

another example of an exceptionally smart philosopher self deceiving in their vainglorious interpretation of the world and deceiptfully assertive in his leading conclusions that lack both necessary and sufficit support. replete with logical inconsistencies o Jeremy in the humanistic elements of his words, the arguments stated are often backed with false or incomplete premise or altogether do often not derive themselves from the underlying logical axioms. still so, this is impressive and powerful. you should read this only of you are willing to suspend judgement and aim to simultaneously see both the truths and fallacies that areu beautifully conveyed within this book.

A brilliant synthesis...

A brilliant synthesis of the creative impulse of the cosmos from the aggregation of elementary particles, to the coalescence of societies, to the global brain, and beyond.

The author bit more than he could chew.

The whole zero/non-zero dynamics seem like an unnecessary filter through pass topics that the author talks about too casually.

I recommend reading/listening the last 2 chapters if you're not sure about this one.
The first half of the book contains an entertaining history lesson of the complexity of human logic but the second part of the book you cringe from time to time when the author pats himself on the back when subtly mocks religion or forces an analogy to stress a point.

Stunning in every way!

This is one of those few books that will change your life upon reading... Such a stellar work of thought and writing!

What a difference great narration makes

Kevin Collins’ narration highlighted how many good books are hampered by weak narration on Audible. Here it goes the other way, and thoughtful, dramatic storytelling propels the experience.

Not a book I’d normally pick up - I didn’t think I was interested in cultural evolution. But it hooked me and landed at a framing of God that was new to me and still hazy: that you can have a purpose of the universe without a decider of what the purpose is. Mind bending. And the wry wit throughout helps the medicine go down.