Why the USA excelled The ladder to success seems easy for some nations and peoples to climb, but others need an escalator. Neither IQ, industriousness, leadership, race, nor resources explain what elusive something causes civilization to sprout in unlikely places. Even stranger, those who build the ladder often get or want little reward for their efforts. Wechsler tells why this happens, then uses anthropology, biology and history to clearly demonstrate the validity of his explanation. Once heard, the explanation seems obvious. Its all about a previously unrecognized attribute of humanity, an attribute that twists the way evolution affects progress and societies.