Nearly every headline seems to warn of new crises, deepening divides or threats to the planet. Yet a very different story emerges when you widen the lens.  

A new book, A Century of Plenty, takes a longer, historical and more hopeful view. Over the past 100 years, humans have made unprecedented progress, from longer lifespans to dramatically reduced poverty: “On average, people now live 40 years longer than they did. From Lagos to London, economic growth has hauled billions of people out of poverty and empowered them to lead rewarding lives.” 

The forthcoming book, by researchers at the McKinsey Global Institute, examines what powered the “progress machine” of the last century, while acknowledging that the gains were inconsistent and not shared equally. What would it take for all countries in the world to achieve the standard of living of, say, Switzerland by 2100? For one thing, the global economy would have to grow to eight times the size it is today. Is this realistic? Will the world have enough energy, food, metals and minerals? Can we keep innovating quickly enough? Can we deliver prosperity while protecting our planet?

“This future is, in fact, possible and perhaps likely, even if progress is always fraught with challenge and humanity lives on the edge,” the book concludes. We’ll talk with co-author Chris Bradley, economist Noah Smith, and other experts about the lessons from the past 100 years, and how they can be applied to ensure even greater future prosperity.