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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I really enjoyed the opportunity this book gave me to think critically about a range of topics all under the umbrella of human progress. Every time I though I might disagree with Pinker on some point, he presented a compelling argument that by the midpoint of this book left me far less cynical than I had been at the start.
The first half is predominantly charts and data, with ample interpretation to allow us to conclude that despite whatever problems our society faces (and Pinker acknowledges they are plenty, but ultimately solvable) human civilization has made and will likely continue to make tremendous progress on every measure of things that matter to us.
The second half is predominantly philosophy, which was also very interesting but more challenging for me personally to read. In it, Pinker makes the case for humanism and then lined up the arguments against it, then proceeds to knock them down, one by one.
Ultimately, I feel more hopeful about the moment in history we find ourselves living in and where we are going for having read this book.
The first half is predominantly charts and data, with ample interpretation to allow us to conclude that despite whatever problems our society faces (and Pinker acknowledges they are plenty, but ultimately solvable) human civilization has made and will likely continue to make tremendous progress on every measure of things that matter to us.
The second half is predominantly philosophy, which was also very interesting but more challenging for me personally to read. In it, Pinker makes the case for humanism and then lined up the arguments against it, then proceeds to knock them down, one by one.
Ultimately, I feel more hopeful about the moment in history we find ourselves living in and where we are going for having read this book.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
It was a while ago when I gradually started to find any type of ideological thinking unpleasant to my taste, and I drifted towards a mode of thinking that required me to focus on a specific issue, and try to think independently, with the help of reason and available data. Of course I could not always unshackle myself of the evolutionary burden of trying to belong to a group and therefore adopt the group-think, but I tried. This book, coming from one of the most original, sharp and courageous thinkers of our time, Steven Pinker, provides the strongest rational and data-driven support for such thinking.
It starts with the precepts of the Enlightenment thinking -- that reason, science, and humanism can lead to progress of the human condition, and shows how, through every conceivable measure, we have progressed in each front, and the world we live in today is better in every respect than the world of 18th, 19th, and 20th century. Barack Obama once said that if he had to choose which time in history he would like to live if he had no control over his gender, geographical location, or economic status then no doubt he would pick today.
Pinker, as always, makes his point not through metaphors, dense arguments, or wordsmithing, but purely through data. The book is full of astounding charts, supported by excellent references. It is iconoclastic to the core, and does not hesitate to challenge many mainstays of 20th century academic thinking, including many post-modernist, Marxist, and relativist ideas.
No matter where you stand in this debate, and particularly if you have an ideological position, I'd strongly recommend that you give this book a try. It may not change your mind, but I'll be very surprised it it fails to introduce some doubts in your current thinking. That's the best thing any book can do, and the rest is up to us.
It starts with the precepts of the Enlightenment thinking -- that reason, science, and humanism can lead to progress of the human condition, and shows how, through every conceivable measure, we have progressed in each front, and the world we live in today is better in every respect than the world of 18th, 19th, and 20th century. Barack Obama once said that if he had to choose which time in history he would like to live if he had no control over his gender, geographical location, or economic status then no doubt he would pick today.
Pinker, as always, makes his point not through metaphors, dense arguments, or wordsmithing, but purely through data. The book is full of astounding charts, supported by excellent references. It is iconoclastic to the core, and does not hesitate to challenge many mainstays of 20th century academic thinking, including many post-modernist, Marxist, and relativist ideas.
No matter where you stand in this debate, and particularly if you have an ideological position, I'd strongly recommend that you give this book a try. It may not change your mind, but I'll be very surprised it it fails to introduce some doubts in your current thinking. That's the best thing any book can do, and the rest is up to us.
I stopped reading after he denounced environmental policies that hurt poor people (like me), but then went right into proclaiming the carbon tax a good idea. That would hurt poor people the most and create a government with even more surveillance and economic control over every single facet of life. I just couldn't believe anything he advocated after that so sent it back to the library.
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
Sometimes you find a book, and sometimes a book finds you. I heard about this book frequently, and its availability at the library coincided perfectly with when I needed to read it.
Steven Pinker's "Enlightenment Now" makes one central argument throughout its chapters: we are living in the best time in history. He uses various metrics, historical events, and data to demonstrate how humanity has advanced through reason, science, and humanism in areas like agriculture, medicine, wealth, living standards, and democracy.
Initially, I thought I didn't need convincing—I already believed we're living in the best time in history. However, we're also in an era where Enlightenment ideals of science, reason, and humanism face challenges. While I might not need convincing, I realized I might need to convince others. This motivated me to continue reading.
Pinker's thorough approach examines in detail the various ways humanity has progressed throughout history to reach our current state.
This book offers a unique blend of science, history, and various other disciplines. It's an engaging and thought-provoking read.
Steven Pinker's "Enlightenment Now" makes one central argument throughout its chapters: we are living in the best time in history. He uses various metrics, historical events, and data to demonstrate how humanity has advanced through reason, science, and humanism in areas like agriculture, medicine, wealth, living standards, and democracy.
Initially, I thought I didn't need convincing—I already believed we're living in the best time in history. However, we're also in an era where Enlightenment ideals of science, reason, and humanism face challenges. While I might not need convincing, I realized I might need to convince others. This motivated me to continue reading.
Pinker's thorough approach examines in detail the various ways humanity has progressed throughout history to reach our current state.
This book offers a unique blend of science, history, and various other disciplines. It's an engaging and thought-provoking read.
My interest in this book initially came about because Bill Gates recommended it saying it was one of his all time favorite books. I was curious to see why. I thought the book was well written and well argued. This book gave me things to think about. I need to dig deeper into the end notes and references. I've read the Atlantic review, which I think made some good points but I think also went beyond the scope of what this book is meant to cover.
The overall theme - If you think the world is coming to an end, think again: people all over the world are living longer, healthier, freer, and happier lives, and while our problems are still formidable, the solutions lie in the Enlightenment ideal of using reason and science. Pinker argues that progress is never without hurdles and set backs, but that the hurdles are surmountable and the set backs are temporary if we don't let them discourage us and stay committed to keep working to move society forward.
The overall theme - If you think the world is coming to an end, think again: people all over the world are living longer, healthier, freer, and happier lives, and while our problems are still formidable, the solutions lie in the Enlightenment ideal of using reason and science. Pinker argues that progress is never without hurdles and set backs, but that the hurdles are surmountable and the set backs are temporary if we don't let them discourage us and stay committed to keep working to move society forward.
Tudo o que esperava e um pouco mais. O livro é uma continuação do [b:Os Anjos Bons da Nossa Natureza: Por Que a Violência Diminuiu|17599514|Os Anjos Bons da Nossa Natureza Por Que a Violência Diminuiu|Steven Pinker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1363037225s/17599514.jpg|16029496], onde o Pinker escreve porque a humanidade está progredindo em quase todos os sentidos, apesar de termos a impressão do contrário.
Para alguém como eu, que não tem a menor bagagem filosófica, esta obra foi excelente. Pinker explica muito bem o que foi o Iluminismo (na interpretação dele) e porque o humanismo foi tão importante para mudarmos conceitos éticos, políticos e culturais. Na argumentação dele, ainda estamos surfando as mudanças trazidas pelo humanismo e os métodos nos quais ele passa a se basear (como a ciência). E o livro traz uma discussão sobre todo tipo de índice de desenvolvimento, econômico, de saúde, de violência, de educação, etc. para mostrar que esse é o caso.
Grande parte do miolo do livro funciona como uma repetição do [b:Os Anjos Bons da Nossa Natureza|17599514|Os Anjos Bons da Nossa Natureza Por Que a Violência Diminuiu|Steven Pinker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1363037225s/17599514.jpg|16029496] que, na minha opinião, dispensa a leitura do livro anterior. Traz também avanços em democracia, saúde, ambiente e desigualdade que não lembro muito de aparecerem no livro anterior. Se você não leu Anjos Bons, parta direto para este que traz uma lição mais abrangente e mais bem argumentada, ainda que menos detalhada, sobre como a humanidade está avançando a passos cada vez mais rápidos.
O destaque para mim ficou com a parte 3 onde ele combina ciência, razão e conhecimento para argumentar por onde poderíamos caminhar para avançar ainda mais rápido. É a área que ele mais domina e traz contribuições que achei muito mais pertinentes do que autores mais ligados à humanidades que já li.
É uma das obras que coloco como recomendadíssimas para qualquer um. Sapiens me explicou muito bem como chegamos aqui, Homo Deus para onde vamos. Este livro me explicou muito bem onde estamos.
Para alguém como eu, que não tem a menor bagagem filosófica, esta obra foi excelente. Pinker explica muito bem o que foi o Iluminismo (na interpretação dele) e porque o humanismo foi tão importante para mudarmos conceitos éticos, políticos e culturais. Na argumentação dele, ainda estamos surfando as mudanças trazidas pelo humanismo e os métodos nos quais ele passa a se basear (como a ciência). E o livro traz uma discussão sobre todo tipo de índice de desenvolvimento, econômico, de saúde, de violência, de educação, etc. para mostrar que esse é o caso.
Grande parte do miolo do livro funciona como uma repetição do [b:Os Anjos Bons da Nossa Natureza|17599514|Os Anjos Bons da Nossa Natureza Por Que a Violência Diminuiu|Steven Pinker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1363037225s/17599514.jpg|16029496] que, na minha opinião, dispensa a leitura do livro anterior. Traz também avanços em democracia, saúde, ambiente e desigualdade que não lembro muito de aparecerem no livro anterior. Se você não leu Anjos Bons, parta direto para este que traz uma lição mais abrangente e mais bem argumentada, ainda que menos detalhada, sobre como a humanidade está avançando a passos cada vez mais rápidos.
O destaque para mim ficou com a parte 3 onde ele combina ciência, razão e conhecimento para argumentar por onde poderíamos caminhar para avançar ainda mais rápido. É a área que ele mais domina e traz contribuições que achei muito mais pertinentes do que autores mais ligados à humanidades que já li.
É uma das obras que coloco como recomendadíssimas para qualquer um. Sapiens me explicou muito bem como chegamos aqui, Homo Deus para onde vamos. Este livro me explicou muito bem onde estamos.