Humankind: A Hopeful History
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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Community Reviews
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.
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