About the book: 2014 / At the beginning of the 15th century, the world was noticeably different from today. We would be struck by the contrast between powerful Asia and Europe suffering from famine, strife and epidemics, between anarchic North America and the empires of Central and South America. The idea that the West could dominate the world - militarily, economically or culturally - would then seem strange. Nevertheless, for the next half-thousand years, Western countries set the tone. An infamous British historian reconstructs the West's "recipe for success" and wonders whether its "decline" is still worth talking about today.».