This Thanksgiving Brian Brushwood joins to discuss the many ways an average American's life is more comfortable, affluent, and magical than the vast majority of human history--including that of pharaohs and kings.   BOOKS: This episode relies heavily on "The Rational Optimist" by Matt Ridley, "Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know" by Ron Bailey, and "The Better Angels of Our Nature" by Stephen Pinker, and "Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think" by Peter H. Diamandis. All great books that present convincing stats on the positive trajectory of the world. They're all linked to at www.mightyheaton.com/featured   RELATED INTERVIEWS: Matt Ridley on Rational Optimism Ron Bailey on Positive Trends