Civilization, The West and the Rest, by Niall Ferguson

According to Ferguson, Western Civilization prospered due to its six "killer apps": namely, competition, science, democracy, medicine, consumerism, and work.  What's more, the cold war was won because the Soviet Union was incapable of making a decent pair of blue jeans.  I'm not sure if I completely buy all of this, but, like most books willing to tackle big subjects and macro-questions, it is fun and fascinating reading. 

Completed: May 2012
Rating: 7/10