Age of Discovery book cover

Age of Discovery by Ian Goldin Summary

Age of Discovery
Ian Goldin
3.99 (445 Reviews)
History
Economics
Technology
Overview
Key Takeaways
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Overview of Age of Discovery

In "Age of Discovery," Goldin and Kutarna brilliantly compare today's turbulent era to the Renaissance. With global literacy soaring and lifespans extending by decades, are we witnessing humanity's second Renaissance - or heading toward unprecedented crisis? Oxford Martin School's provocative analysis challenges everything.

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Key takeaways

1

Between Decision and Action

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Five hundred years ago, a young sculptor carved a figure frozen in that electric moment before battle-muscles tensed, eyes fixed on an unseen giant. Today, we stand in the same suspended instant. The world has been rewired, redrawn, and reimagined faster than at any point in human history. We're living through a transformation as profound as the Renaissance itself, complete with its breathtaking genius and terrifying risks. The question isn't whether change is coming-it's already here. The question is whether we'll shape it or be shaped by it.

2

When the Map Becomes the Territory

3

The Great Convergence

4

Genius Unleashed

5

The Fragility Beneath Progress

6

When Progress Breeds Discontent

7

The Choice Before Us

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"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
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"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
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"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

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"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
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108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
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254
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17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

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"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

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