In The Case for Optimism I outlined both why we are better off than we have ever been in history, especially if we live in the West, and why the future is so promising. USA Today, of all places, just published a lot of the statistics underlying the first part of my argument.

Consider that if you make more than $34,000 per year you are in the richest 1% of people in the world and that you have a standard of living unimaginable by the wealthiest people in the world a hundred years ago.

All 50 reasons are very powerful and warrant reading in their own right, you can find them at:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2014/02/02/greatest-period-in-history/5161935/