You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
It's odd to more or less entirely agree with a book, and yet still feel like the solution it posits seems too idealistic and naive.
I understand Bregman goes for the furthest logical conclusion based on the arguments he laid out, but I don't feel I've internalised the message fully enough to agree it's all just that simple. Accepting that we've been so completely wrong simply feels much easier than accepting how easily we might be right if only we tried.
Perhaps it's because being wrong in a myriad of ways seems that much more realistic than all of us being right in the same way eventually. Maybe I still haven't deconstructed my intentalised cynical realism enough to get why I don't fully get it.
The sections where Bregman took to debunking an entire range of well-known philosophers and scientists were by far the most compelling for me, a really great and effective approach for my taste.
I want to be part of planet A, for sure.
I understand Bregman goes for the furthest logical conclusion based on the arguments he laid out, but I don't feel I've internalised the message fully enough to agree it's all just that simple. Accepting that we've been so completely wrong simply feels much easier than accepting how easily we might be right if only we tried.
Perhaps it's because being wrong in a myriad of ways seems that much more realistic than all of us being right in the same way eventually. Maybe I still haven't deconstructed my intentalised cynical realism enough to get why I don't fully get it.
The sections where Bregman took to debunking an entire range of well-known philosophers and scientists were by far the most compelling for me, a really great and effective approach for my taste.
I want to be part of planet A, for sure.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Rutger Bregman's Humankind is a necessary antidote to cynicism, and is one of the most eye-opening reads I've had the pleasure of reading.
Humankind tackles one of the most fundamental questions about human nature: are we inherently good or evil? Bregman's answer is refreshingly optimistic and surprisingly well-researched.
Bregman's central thesis is that we became the dominant species through cooperation, not ruthless competition. We're "Homo puppy," as he puts it. The book systematically dismantles famous studies that paint humans as naturally selfish, like the Stanford prison experiment, Milgram's obedience tests, even the story behind Lord of the Flies. He shows how sensationalist narratives have warped our view of human nature and led to harmful policies.
Despite 45 pages of sources spanning archaeology, psychology, anthropology, economics, Bregman writes like a novelist, not an academic. His examples are genuinely fascinating: the WWI Christmas Truce, peaceful Danish prisons, Dutch schools without traditional authority, the Hurricane Katrina case. He makes a compelling case that expecting the best from people actually brings out their best.
Bregman doesn't ignore humanity's dark side, but he argues that understanding our cooperative nature can help us build better systems. In our current climate of division, doom-scrolling, and negative news cycles, Humankind offers evidence-based hope, not naive optimism. It's a call to build systems that bring out our better angels rather than our worst impulses
Even if you're skeptical of Bregman's ideas, the conversations Humankind will spark are worth the read.
Humankind tackles one of the most fundamental questions about human nature: are we inherently good or evil? Bregman's answer is refreshingly optimistic and surprisingly well-researched.
Bregman's central thesis is that we became the dominant species through cooperation, not ruthless competition. We're "Homo puppy," as he puts it. The book systematically dismantles famous studies that paint humans as naturally selfish, like the Stanford prison experiment, Milgram's obedience tests, even the story behind Lord of the Flies. He shows how sensationalist narratives have warped our view of human nature and led to harmful policies.
Despite 45 pages of sources spanning archaeology, psychology, anthropology, economics, Bregman writes like a novelist, not an academic. His examples are genuinely fascinating: the WWI Christmas Truce, peaceful Danish prisons, Dutch schools without traditional authority, the Hurricane Katrina case. He makes a compelling case that expecting the best from people actually brings out their best.
Bregman doesn't ignore humanity's dark side, but he argues that understanding our cooperative nature can help us build better systems. In our current climate of division, doom-scrolling, and negative news cycles, Humankind offers evidence-based hope, not naive optimism. It's a call to build systems that bring out our better angels rather than our worst impulses
Even if you're skeptical of Bregman's ideas, the conversations Humankind will spark are worth the read.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Genuinely changed my perspective on humanity. I am going to recommend this book to everyone.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
slow-paced