Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights:#1 Human progress exists, and it is a battle that can be won, but it is a battle whose outcome is uncertain. It is a fragile social and political process that is always ongoing and in question.#2 The world has made great progress in health care and education since 1820. However, there are still deep inequalities in access to education and health care between global North and South.#3 The most important progress in terms of life expectancy and literacy was achieved in the twentieth century, when the welfare state was greatly expanded. In the nineteenth century, social welfare budgets remained parsimonious, and taxes were regressive.#4 The scope of the historical transformations involved is illustrated by the fact that human population and average income have both multiplied more than tenfold since the eighteenth century. The former rose from about 600 million in 1700 to more than 7.