Humankind: A Hopeful History
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The "lively" (The New Yorker), "convincing" (Forbes), and "riveting pick-me-up we all need right now" (People) that proves humanity thrives in a crisis and that our innate kindness and cooperation have been the greatest factors in our long-term success as a species. If there is one belief that has united the left and the right, psychologists and philosophers, ancient thinkers and modern ones, it is the tacit assumption that humans are bad. It's a notion that drives newspaper headlines and guides the laws that shape our lives. From Machiavelli to Hobbes, Freud to Pinker, the roots of this belief have sunk deep into Western thought. Human beings, we're taught, are by nature selfish and governed primarily by self-interest. But what if it isn't true? International bestseller Rutger Bregman provides new perspective on the past 200,000 years of human history, setting out to prove that we are hardwired for kindness, geared toward cooperation rather than competition, and more inclined to trust rather than distrust one another. In fact this instinct has a firm evolutionary basis going back to the beginning of Homo sapiens. From the real-life Lord of the Flies to the solidarity in the aftermath of the Blitz, the hidden flaws in the Stanford prison experiment to the true story of twin brothers on opposite sides who helped Mandela end apartheid, Bregman shows us that believing in human generosity and collaboration isn't merely optimistic--it's realistic. Moreover, it has huge implications for how society functions. When we think the worst of people, it brings out the worst in our politics and economics. But if we believe in the reality of humanity's kindness and altruism, it will form the foundation for achieving true change in society, a case that Bregman makes convincingly with his signature wit, refreshing frankness, and memorable storytelling. "The Sapiens of 2020." --The Guardian "Humankind made me see humanity from a fresh perspective." --Yuval Noah Harari, author of the #1 bestseller Sapiens Longlisted for the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction One of the Washington Post's 50 Notable Nonfiction Works in 2020
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NOTE: I wrote this whole long review and then Goodreads closed it >:((((( so sorry if this isnât well written Iâm trying to remember what I wanted to say
I feel a little bad about the lost star since I think the reasons were mostly personal. Although the book sometimes had small issues with succinctness and organization, it was a pretty good read, and Iâd recommend it. (I think there were one or two times he contradicted himself and didnât get into the nuances to explain these contradictions, but Iâd have to reread to really pick those out. Thatâs not a big deal to me.)
Basically, I think I read this book too late. My perspective and world view already matched this book too much. If I had read this in late middle or early high school, I think it couldâve been a much more life-altering experience.
That was when I had begun to really try to be purposely optimistic. This was the time when I had chosen empathy (or compassion as the book defines it, and I concede the point) to answer my ELA assignment about a chosen âimportant trait for an ideal world.â This was also the time I was most interested in pedagogy, and I think I wouldâve loved reading about the alternative schooling options Bregman describes. Also, the beginning of high school was when I had started my personal Forgive Everyone⢠project. I really think I would have loved this book if it had only existed and fallen into by hands at the time. As it is, I still enjoyed the book, but I had just already read/learned about many of the studies or stories he mentions, lesseningâthough not negatingâtheir impact. :(
Overall, it was interesting, covers a wide range of subsections within the main theme, and it was pretty simple to get through. I wholeheartedly recommend! The authorâs voice and the range of topics lends itself to fairly easy reading.
Also, my professor called it a âpopâ book disparagingly, but I actually like that itâs a book that could be widely read since the message is important and universal.
I feel a little bad about the lost star since I think the reasons were mostly personal. Although the book sometimes had small issues with succinctness and organization, it was a pretty good read, and Iâd recommend it. (I think there were one or two times he contradicted himself and didnât get into the nuances to explain these contradictions, but Iâd have to reread to really pick those out. Thatâs not a big deal to me.)
Basically, I think I read this book too late. My perspective and world view already matched this book too much. If I had read this in late middle or early high school, I think it couldâve been a much more life-altering experience.
That was when I had begun to really try to be purposely optimistic. This was the time when I had chosen empathy (or compassion as the book defines it, and I concede the point) to answer my ELA assignment about a chosen âimportant trait for an ideal world.â This was also the time I was most interested in pedagogy, and I think I wouldâve loved reading about the alternative schooling options Bregman describes. Also, the beginning of high school was when I had started my personal Forgive Everyone⢠project. I really think I would have loved this book if it had only existed and fallen into by hands at the time. As it is, I still enjoyed the book, but I had just already read/learned about many of the studies or stories he mentions, lesseningâthough not negatingâtheir impact. :(
Overall, it was interesting, covers a wide range of subsections within the main theme, and it was pretty simple to get through. I wholeheartedly recommend! The authorâs voice and the range of topics lends itself to fairly easy reading.
Also, my professor called it a âpopâ book disparagingly, but I actually like that itâs a book that could be widely read since the message is important and universal.
Literally gave me hope in humanity again. Recommended read for anyone who has lost faith in humanity (or even anyone vaguely disappointed in humanity as a whole).
In an age where cynicism and pessimism have become the order of the day, the book comes forth as a breath of fresh air. It imbues us with a ray of hope, that the essence of humanity is goodness and the very reason that we have survived and even proliferated on the planet. He buttresses his arguments with facts, debunking various theories that we had taken for granted. It is human nature that gravitates to the negatives, ignoring the sea of positives all around us. It is compounded by the proliferation of social media and news, that brainwashes us so effectively. Negativity, hate and distrust are feelings alien to us, and inimical to our very survival as a race. He makes the point, that the essence of our existence is the milk of human kindness, that has helped us evolve and flourish for thousands of years. Violence has never been in our DNA, even when we were hunter gatherers, and is only a product of the modern age, as we settled down into communities, and the birth of what we term civilization. He demolishes long held beliefs with facts that cannot be denied and an in-depth research, taking nothing for granted. Surprisingly he doesn't advocate empathy but compassion instead, making a compelling case for the same. It is a beacon of hope that provides solutions in a fractured world, especially the difficult situation that we find ourselves in at the present.
Oh what a delight. Definitely recommend this book right now if you need a lift, a little elevation and belief in human kind. Really enjoyed it. Seemingly well researched but still accessible. Re-exploring some well known psychological experiments or historical moments to highlight that in fact humankind is rather kind after all
pretty solid book, I really like the message. Rated it a 7 because some of the evidence seems to be heavily biased to support his points. But if humans switched their views on each other the world would be a way better place
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