Summary:
The book explores the history of human innovation in agriculture, detailing how each crisis related to food scarcity has led to technological and scientific advancements that allowed our population to grow. It discusses the "ratchet" effect, where periods of growth in food production are followed by setbacks, only to be overcome by new solutions.
Key points:
1. The Big Ratchet: Human ingenuity has repeatedly overcome agricultural limits, boosting food production to support a growing population through innovations like synthetic fertilizers and high-yield crops.
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