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Analysis Of Michael Shermer's Essay Life Has Never Been So Good

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In the article “Life Has Never Been So Good” by Michael Shermer (2010), he compares and contrasts the differences between the cost of living in today’s future with the cost of living in the past. Shermer also discusses how the future has changed the economic wealth in our society because of the changes in technology and the possession of material goods for civilians. The author states that living is even better because of lack of crime rates and better working environments as well. In his essay, Shermer wants his readers to understand that “these are the good old days” of the future. The author’s purpose begins by persuade a general audience of the imagined members of the American community at large as well as scientific public about why life is so much better now than in any other time in our history. He supports this claim of value with “a good analogue of how our ancestors lived” by describing the materials they had and the amount of wealth that followed with the things they were able to get. His writing style mainly consisted with a persuasive point of view …show more content…

For example, Shermer discusses “The Progress Paradox” by Gregg Easterbook which claims that “over the last 50 years, standards of living have risen dramatically”. This is also followed by a warrant in which Shermer states that in “The 1950[‘s] gross domestic product per capita,computed in 1996 dollars, was only $11,087, compared with the 2000 figure of $34,365. And more people are moving up the economic hierarchy. Way up. In 2000, 1 in 4 Americans earned at least $75,000 a year, putting them in the upper middle class, compared with 1890, when only 1% earned the equivalent of that figure. Shermer follows this in ninth paragraph with Matt Ridley’s forthcoming book and his personal experience in the environment and how the future has impacted a more prosperous

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