Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction : traders and tribalists -- Part I. Open -- 1. Open exchange -- 2. Open doors -- 3. Open minds -- 4. Open societies -- Part II. Closed -- 5. Us and them -- 6. Zero-sum -- 7. Anticipatory anxiety -- 8. Fight or flight -- Open or closed?

Humanity's embrace of openness is the key to our success. The freedom to explore and exchange - whether it's goods, ideas or people - has led to stunning achievements in science, technology and culture. As a result, we live at a time of unprecedented wealth and opportunity. So why are we so intent on ruining it? From Stone Age hunter-gatherers to contemporary Chinese-American relations, Open explores how across time and cultures, we have struggled with a constant tension between our yearning for co-operation and our profound need for belonging. Providing a bold new framework for understanding human history, bestselling author and thinker Johan Norberg examines why we're often uncomfortable with openness - but also why it is essential for progress. Part sweeping history and part polemic, this urgent book makes a compelling case for why an open world with an open economy is worth fighting for more than ever. -- Source other than Library of Congress.