Super Short Summary

In Civilization: The West and The Rest (2011), Niall Ferguson explores how Western civilization rose to global prominence from the 1500s onward by leveraging "killer apps" such as competition, modern science, property rights, medicine, consumerism, and work ethic. Ferguson examines these factors across various historical contexts and civilizations, arguing that these features enabled Western dominance politically, economically, and culturally. The book sometimes portrays European empires positively while addressing topics like colonialism, atrocities, and forced labor against Indigenous populations.