Summary: Superabundance by Marian Tupy and Gale Pooley counters the pessimistic outlook on resource scarcity, arguing that resources have become more accessible over time thanks to human innovation. Through “time prices” the authors demonstrate that abundance is achievable even as the global population grows. The book underscores the importance of free markets, freedom of speech, and economic freedom as pillars for sustaining prosperity and refuting outdated Malthusian fears.
In a world full of popular media headlines warning of resource exhaustion, ecological crises, and overpopulation, it’s worth picking up a book that explains why there’s no need to be afraid. Superabundance by Marian Tupy and Gale Pooley, based on data and compelling arguments, shows that the availability of a wide range of resources has been steadily increasing over the past 150 years. This is possible thanks to progress and the people behind it—their creativity and innovation.
Depending on the selection of goods and the period of analysis, abundance—understood as the number of work hours required to acquire a certain product or service—has improved over recent decades by an average of 2-4% per year, effectively doubling every 20 to 35 years. To understand the phenomenon of abundance, time itself is key, treated by the authors as a measure of wealth. This approach provides an interesting alternative to the useful yet imperfect metric of GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The so-called “time prices” used by Tupy and Pooley address some of GDP’s weaknesses, such as the difficulties in measuring changes in product quality and innovation.
From a historical perspective, the accumulated knowledge at the end of the 18th century, along with liberal ideas, enabled a shift from chronic shortages to the construction of a world of increasing abundance in various fields and regions of the globe. A significant advantage of the book is the data and charts that illustrate how humanity’s situation has improved over the decades. Furthermore, in the case of many goods and resources, abundance has increased faster than the population, which Tupy and Pooley call the titular “superabundance.”
The authors debunk the myth of overpopulation and refute the ideas of Malthusian proponents who argue that, given the planet’s finite resources, population growth is unsustainable. A larger population means more minds capable of generating innovative solutions to our shared problems. As George Gilder states in the book’s foreword, “people are not a burden on resources—they are a source of resources.”
Superabundance challenges the pessimistic beliefs about the world’s worsening condition, arguing that humanity’s future can be not only bearable but also filled with prosperity. The Foundation for Economic Freedom supported the Polish edition of the book, not only to show readers that the state of the world today is much better than in the past but also better than we might believe. More importantly, the book leaves us with a key question: will superabundance continue?
Tupy and Pooley highlight the conditions necessary for this continuation. Firstly, it will depend on people and the freedom of thought leading to ideas that can undergo market testing and ultimately drive progress. Secondly, freedom of speech is crucial for the growth of abundance, a freedom that today faces strong challenges—from both authoritarian regimes in poorer countries and from universities in wealthier nations. Thirdly, the continuation of progress requires the defense and strengthening of a free market, where the true value of human ideas is tested.
The authors note that human psychological traits, shaped by hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, are not conducive to institutional solutions that promote progress. The biologically driven “craving for a daily dose of fear and anxiety” creates fertile ground for various populist forces in politics, which promise equality and security, promote tribalism (us versus them), and view the economy as a zero-sum game—where one person’s gain is another’s loss. However, most phenomena in a free economy are positive-sum games, benefiting various parties involved in transactions, often strangers to each other. The arguments in Tupy and Pooley’s book offer a rational counterpoint to strong tendencies in the human psyche, which were beneficial for survival in prehistoric times but hinder development and quality of life improvement in today’s economy, based on trade, services, peaceful cooperation, and globalization.
Poland embarked on a path of accelerated development after its successful transformation in 1989, and despite many economic challenges, it has the potential for further growth and even greater prosperity in the future. The lessons from Superabundance can be valuable to anyone who wants to create more favorable conditions for economic freedom, private enterprise, innovation, and, consequently, economic growth. I encourage you to read it and to engage as citizens in the pursuit of continued progress.
This article was translated from original Polish using ChatGPT 4o. It appears as the introduction to the Polish edition of Superabundance.