Civilization. How the West became successful

Neil Ferguson observes: “Back in the early 15th century, the very idea that the West would dominate the rest of the world for the next five centuries would have seemed very strange. However, it happened." And now the power of the West amazes even the richest imagination... So why did this happen? Why did Europe, which in 1500 was inferior to the East in many indicators — economic, technological, demographic — manage to surge forward and achieve undisputed world domination? What are the components of the success of Western civilization? It is precisely these teasing questions that Neil Ferguson covers extremely boldly, sometimes even defiantly, but extremely fascinatingly.
The author sees the problem of the modern generation in the fragmentary knowledge of the past, therefore he offers a complete history of the world. He describes how competition, the development of science and medicine, mass consumption, and the work ethic helped the West expand its wealth, influence, and power. And also ponders what the "borrowing" of Western norms by other countries can lead to and how long the West will hold leadership positions in the world.