Was life really better before the Industrial Revolution? Many people romanticize a simpler past—one of close-knit communities, cleaner living, and slower-paced existence. But according to Chelsea Follett, the historical record tells a very different story.
In this episode, Ron and Ed welcome Chelsea Follett, author of The Grim Old Days: An Introduction to the Preindustrial Past, to explore what everyday life was actually like before modern economic growth transformed the world. Drawing on historical accounts and extensive research, Chelsea dismantles persistent myths about the “good old days,” revealing a world marked by relentless poverty, disease, violence, hunger, pollution, and backbreaking labor.
The conversation examines why nostalgia for the past remains so appealing, how the Industrial Revolution fundamentally changed human well-being, and what history can teach us about progress, prosperity, and the importance of free enterprise. Along the way, Ron and Ed challenge common assumptions about modernity, economic growth, and why we often take today’s extraordinary quality of life for granted.
If you’ve ever wondered whether the past was really better—or why so many people believe it was—this episode offers a fascinating, evidence-based perspective that may change the way you think about history and progress.
About Chelsea Follett
Chelsea Follett is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute and managing editor of HumanProgress.org, where she researches and writes about long-term improvements in human well-being. She is the author of The Grim Old Days: An Introduction to the Preindustrial Past and Centers of Progress: 40 Cities That Changed the World. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Newsweek, USA Today, and other major publications.
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