Smaller Faster Lighter Denser Cheaper: How Innovation Keeps Proving the Catastrophists Wrong

Manhattan Institute senior fellow Bryce (Power Hungry) asserts that for centuries we have been making goods and services smaller, faster, lighter, denser, and cheaper, and that due to these innovations, we “never have so many lived so well.” But he poses the question: “Will we continue innovating, embracing technology, and getting richer, or will we listen to those who are advocating degrowth?” Though Bryce jumps from topic to topic—from the printing press, to rock n’ roll, to digital communications, to doping at the Tour de France—it becomes clear that these examples bolster his deeply held views that natural gas and nuclear energy are keys to future global prosperity. He expounds at length in the third section of the book, noting that, “In the wake of the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant… the prospects for nuclear energy have never been brighter.” He does not hide his disdain for the “Green Left,” repeatedly criticizing organizations like the Sierra Club and Green Peace. Bryce’s exploration of innovation and companies pursuing the titular creed may hold some interest for general business readers, but this provocative work is ultimately about energy policy, and as such, may suit a more specialized audience. Agent: Dan Green, POM Inc. (May)