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There's a reason the world drinks Coke, wears iPods, and watches English-language films. Western civilization has conquered the globe-not by invasion but through innovation, creativity, and wealth. Author William O'Toole's new book, Western Civilization, suggests that the West's emphasis on individual freedom-particularly the right to own property-is what made this possible.

Written in simple, unfussy language, Western Civilization explains how, after the fall of ancient empires like Greece and Rome, the Western world gradually emerged from superstition and tyranny, a process that sped up after the Reformation. In their place grew up a legal system and an ideology that honored and protected individual ownership-the right to own physical property, patents, copyrights, and more.

This right meant that people no longer needed to fear absolute monarchs or dictators stealing what they had earned, and the outcome was that merchants and businessmen began to innovate. New methods of financing, marketing, and manufacturing were developed and adopted, encouraging the evolution of industrial capitalism and joint-stock companies. The resulting economic and political system has now extended its influence across the globe.

O'Toole's straightforward history of Western civilization will help you better understand the modern world.