Over the past two centuries, humanity has experienced unprecedented progress. Extreme poverty has declined, life expectancy has doubled, illiteracy has declined. While we as a species are becoming more prosperous, more educated, healthier, and more peaceful, it is useful to remind ourselves of the underlying cause of this progress: innovation. Human innovation--whether it be new ideas, inventions, or systems--is the primary way people create wealth and escape poverty.

The health and wealth of the modern world rests on the shoulders of dozens of unsung heroes whose work has saved millions, if not billions, of lives. Despite their contribution to improving humanity, few people know the names of these pioneers.

Heroes of Progress takes readers on a journey through the lives of the most important people who have ever lived. From agronomists whose hybrid crops saved billions of lives and intellectuals who changed public policy for the better, to businesspeople whose innovations helped millions rise from poverty, or scientists whose medical breakthroughs eliminated diseases and ended pandemics. If it werent for the heroes profiled in this book, wed all be far poorer, sicker, hungrier, ignorant, and less free--if we were fortunate enough to be alive at all. Considering their impact on humanity, perhaps its time to learn their story?

Alexander C. R. Hammond is the founder of the Initiative for African Trade and Prosperity, a free trade fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), and a senior fellow at African Liberty. His work focuses on the history of economic growth and innovation, African development, and global well‐​being. He was formerly a policy analyst at the IEA and a researcher in the Cato Institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity.

“Making an inspiring case for progress at this time of skepticism and historical ingratitude is no easy feat. Yet, by relentlessly outlining the extraordinary ability of individuals to shape our world for the better, Alexander Hammond does just that.”
–Steven Pinker, author of Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress

“Innovation is a team sport achieved by people working together, using precious freedoms to change the world, so it’s sometimes invidious to single out one person for credit. But once an idea is ripe for plucking, the right person at the right time can seize it and save a million lives or open a million possibilities. Each of these 65 people did that, and their stories are both thrilling and beautiful.”
–Matt Ridley, author of How Innovation Works: And Why It Flourishes in Freedom

“This is a book that is both timely and enlightening. The stories we tell about history tend to focus excessively on political figures, including many who have made life worse for most people. The figures in this book are the overlooked and often unknown figures who have transformed the lives of ordinary people, for the better, with their contributions in science, medicine, technology, business, and ideas. They are the people we should remember and honor, and it is their accomplishments that bring about progress, the improvement of human life. This book is a correction to widespread pessimism and is both informative and inspirational.”
–Dr. Stephen Davies, author of The Wealth Explosion: The Nature and Origins of Modernity

“Classical liberalism needs more than spreadsheets to justify itself. It needs its heroes too. And, thanks to Alexander Hammond, here they are. True heroes. Not men we remember for their religious fervor or their martial prowess or their imperial ambitions but men (and women) who tangibly improved the lives of those who followed them. The 65 innovators honored here made us happier, healthier, and longer‐​lived. Indeed, it is thanks to some of them that we are here at all. Their story is the story of how the human race acquired powers once attributed to gods and sorcerers―the story of how we overcame hunger, disease, ignorance, and squalor. I defy anyone to read this book and not feel better afterwards.”
–Lord Daniel Hannan, president of the Institute for Free Trade

“Superman and the Avengers are all very well, of course, but the real superheroes are thinkers, scientists, and innovators of flesh and blood who saved us from a life that used to be poor, nasty, brutish, and short. Alexander Hammond tells their inspiring stories in this magnificent book that will leave you grateful to be living in the world these men and women created.”
–Johan Norberg, author of Open: The Story of Human Progress

“The 65 fascinating stories in Heroes of Progress are testaments to the ingenuity of humankind in delivering a richer, healthier, and hopefully freer world. Alexander C. R. Hammond provides an inspirational reminder that when individuals are free to speak, think, innovate, and engage in open markets, the heroic potential of humanity knows no bounds.”
–Lord Syed Kamall, professor of politics and international relations, St. Mary’s University