In The Evolution of Everything, Matt Ridley challenges the conventional notion that progress and change are driven by top-down design, arguing instead that they emerge organically through gradual, bottom-up processes. From language and technology to morality and the economy, he explores how complex systems evolve independently of human control, much like natural selection in biology. Ridley examines the historical forces behind scientific discoveries, political movements, and societal transformations, demonstrating that order and innovation often arise spontaneously rather than through deliberate planning.