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4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
Heartbreaking to read this now in 2025 realizing his work kind of died with him. There are so many things I wish he would have been able to speak on in the last 8 years (Covid, Gaza, etc) and maybe have changed if he was still alive.
Now this book is different from my usual reads as it is a non fiction book! One of the first non-fiction books I have really read and I really enjoyed it and feel like it has had an impact of my life and how I think. The main focus of this book is global statistics and how they show that the world has improved over time. I felt like this book was very accessible and easy to understand even if you know nothing about statistics which I don't. The writer has a lot of life experience which he uses to highlight his points. I thought he was very interesting and witty throughout! I think everyone should read this book! It discussing important topics and whilst it makes things seem better than we think, it doesn't take away the importance of the big challenges we are facing such as climate change.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Very informative and very well conveyed
challenging
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
It's important to read books that challenge us, to prevent us getting entrenched in our ideas rather than seeing the truth. This book manages that in the most delightful way.
For me, a worrier and a realist, this book was like a big hug.
The visualization of the data was very well used. I think sometimes too many graphs and charts can feel overwhelming, but without them such a data heavy piece is hard to keep engaging. I actually ended up sending pictures of these charts to some of my friends.
The only criticism that I have is about the way in which the book was written. I understand why it was written this way, to make the information accessible to the largest of masses. To me, this reads like a summer reading that no one actually read before my junior year of high school. The real world examples are great introductions to each of the chapters, but it contributes to quite a repetitive and formulaic consumption. Here's what happened, here's why I was wrong, here's what I should have done, here's what you should keep in mind. The formula works great for explanatory purposes, but not as much for entertainment. It didn't bother me as much since the subject matter was already very interesting to me.
One of the best parts of reading this book was that once I came to the end I had a friendly reminder that it wasn't imperative that I retain all of the information word for word. This is something that really bothers me about reading a good book, I want to dissect it and ensure that all of the impactful moments are logged into my memory. What a great reminder that sometimes you can just read to read.
I would highly recommend the book to just about anyone, because it is truly a book for everyone.
The visualization of the data was very well used. I think sometimes too many graphs and charts can feel overwhelming, but without them such a data heavy piece is hard to keep engaging. I actually ended up sending pictures of these charts to some of my friends.
The only criticism that I have is about the way in which the book was written. I understand why it was written this way, to make the information accessible to the largest of masses. To me, this reads like a summer reading that no one actually read before my junior year of high school. The real world examples are great introductions to each of the chapters, but it contributes to quite a repetitive and formulaic consumption. Here's what happened, here's why I was wrong, here's what I should have done, here's what you should keep in mind. The formula works great for explanatory purposes, but not as much for entertainment. It didn't bother me as much since the subject matter was already very interesting to me.
One of the best parts of reading this book was that once I came to the end I had a friendly reminder that it wasn't imperative that I retain all of the information word for word. This is something that really bothers me about reading a good book, I want to dissect it and ensure that all of the impactful moments are logged into my memory. What a great reminder that sometimes you can just read to read.
I would highly recommend the book to just about anyone, because it is truly a book for everyone.
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
Excellent book that challenges common assumptions about the world by providing statistics and data. Many widely-accepted assumptions and perceptions about the world are incorrect and shaped by the media's focus on negative events and data. This book dispels a lot of these myths and leaves a reader with a more accurate, and more positive, view of the world we live in.
To overstate the importance of this book would be very out of line with its message, so I will resist. Still, I think it is quite realistic to say that this is helpful reading for anyone who wishes to go through the world thoughtfully and conscientiously. If you seek truth, this book is an interesting primer.
Edit: I find it interesting that many of the 1- and 2- star reviews fall prey to the very fallacies that Rosling passionately dissuades!
Edit: I find it interesting that many of the 1- and 2- star reviews fall prey to the very fallacies that Rosling passionately dissuades!
Full of accessible stats & international interpretation advice. Would recommend to everyone.