The Rational Optimist_ How Prosperity Evolves - Matt Ridley [215]
Maskelyne, Nevil 221
Maudslay, Henry 221
Mauritius 187, 316
Mauryan empire 172–3, 201, 357
Maxwell, James Clerk 412
measles 14, 135, 310
meat eating 51, 60, 62, 68–9, 126, 147, 156, 241, 376
Mecca 177
Mediterranean Sea: prehistoric settlements 56, 68–9, 159; trade 89, 164, 167–8, 169, 171, 176, 178
meerkats 87
Mehrgarh, Baluchistan 162
Mehta, Suketa 189
Meissen 185
memes 5
Menes, Pharaoh of Egypt 161
mercury 183, 213, 237
Mersey, River 62
Merzbach valley, Germany 138
Mesopotamia 38, 115, 158–61, 163, 177, 193, 251, 357; see also Assyrian empire; Iraq metal prices, reductions in 213
Metaxas, Ioannis 186
methane 140, 329, 345
Mexico: agriculture 14, 123, 126, 142, 387; emigration to United States 117; hurricanes 335; life expectancy 15; nature conservation 324; swine flu 309
Mexico City 190
Meyer, Warren 281
Mezherich, Ukraine 71
mice 55, 125
Michelangelo 115
Microsoft (corporation) 24, 260, 268, 273
migrations: early human 66–70, 82; rural to urban 158, 188–9, 210, 219–20, 226–7, 231, 406; see also emigration
Milan 178, 184
Miletus 170–71
milk 22, 55, 97, 135
Mill, John Stuart 34, 103–4, 108, 249, 274, 276, 279
Millennium Development goals 316
Miller, Geoffrey 44, 274
millet 126
Mills, Mark 244
Ming empire 117, 181–4, 260, 311
Minoan civilisation 166
Mississippi Company 29
Mittal, Lakshmi 268
mobile phones 37, 252, 257, 261, 265, 267, 297, 326–7
Mohamed (prophet) 176
Mohawk Indians 138–9
Mohenjo-Daro, Indus valley 161–2
Mojave Desert 69
Mokyr, Joel 197, 252, 257, 411, 412
monarchies 118, 162, 172, 222
monasteries 176, 194, 215, 252
Monbiot, George 291, 311, 426
money: development of 71, 132, 392; ‘trust inscribed’ 85
Mongolia 230
Mongols 161, 181, 182
monkeys 3, 57, 59, 88; capuchins 96–7, 375
monopolies 107, 111, 166, 172, 182
monsoon 174
Montesquieu, Charles, Baron de 103
moon landing 268–9, 275
Moore, Gordon 221, 405
Moore, Michael 291
Morgan, J.P. 100
Mormonism 205
Morocco 53, 209
Morse, Samuel 272
mortgages 25, 29, 30, 323; sub-prime 296
Moses 138
mosquito nets 318
‘most favoured nation’ principle 186
Moyo, Dambisa 318
Mozambique 132, 316
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus 267
Mugabe, Robert 262
Mumbai 189, 190
murder 14, 20, 85, 88, 106, 118, 201
Murrays’ Mills, Manchester 214
music 70, 115, 266–7, 326
Myceneans 166
Nairobi 322
Namibia 209, 324
Napoleon I 184
NASA 269
Nashville 326
Nassarius shells 53, 56, 65
National Food Service 268
National Health Service 111, 261
nationalisation (of industry) 166, 182
nationalism 357
native Americans 62, 92–3, 138–9
Natufians 125
natural selection 5–6, 27, 49–50, 350
nature conservation 324, 339; see also wilderness land, expansion of
Neanderthals 3, 4, 53, 55, 64, 65, 68, 71, 79, 373, 378
Nebuchadnezzar 169
needles 43, 70
Nehru, Jawaharlal 187
Nelson, Richard 5
Nepal 15, 209
Netscape (corporation) 259
New Deal 109
New Guinea: agriculture 123, 126, 387; languages 73; malaria 336; prehistoric 66, 123, 126; tribes 87, 92, 138
New York 12, 16, 83, 169, 190
New York Times 23, 295, 305
New Zealand 17, 35, 42, 70
Newcomen, Thomas 244, 256
newspapers 270, 295; licensing copyrights 267
Newsweek (magazine) 329
Newton, Sir Isaac 116, 256
nickel 34, 213
Niger 208–9, 210, 324
Nigeria 15, 31, 99, 117, 210, 236, 316
Nike (corporation) 115, 188
Nile, River 161, 164, 167, 171
nitrogen fertlisers 140, 146, 147, 149–50, 155, 305
nitrous oxide 155
Nobel Peace Prize 143, 280
‘noble savage’ 43–4, 135–8
Norberg, Johann 187
Nordau, Max 288
Nordhaus, William 331
Norte Chico civilisation 162–3
North, Douglass 324, 397
North Carolina 219–20
North Korea 15, 116–17, 187, 333
North Sea 180, 185
North Sentinel islanders 67
Northern Rock (bank) 9
Northumberland 407
Norton, Seth 211
Norway 97–8, 332, 344
Norwich 225
nostalgia 12–13, 44, 135, 189, 284–5, 292
Novgorod 180
Noyce, Robert 221, 405
nuclear accidents 283, 293–4, 308, 345, 421
nuclear power 37, 236, 238, 239, 245, 246, 343, 344, 345
nuclear war, threat of 280, 290, 299–300, 333
Obama, Barack 203