How does Ferguson present "the West" in his book, Civilization: The West and the Rest?

Niall Ferguson presents Western civilization as superior to the rest of the world in a variety of ways - scientifically, militarily, culturally and ideologically. While "the West" may seem like an odd choice for a main character, "The West" is arguably the protagonist or flawed hero of the book. "The West" consists of those nations and peoples that originate in Europe over the last thousands years or so and that have spread throughout North America. In other words, today "the West" is the sum of Canada, the US, Europe and their colonies.