Humankind: A Hopeful History

'Hugely, highly and happily recommended'
Stephen Fry

'Made me see humanity from a fresh perspective'
Yuval Noah Harari

Nick's Review

Bregman has thrown down the gauntlet and gone head to head with the likes of Malcolm Gladwell and Yuval Harari. To his great credit the likes of Harari have acknowledged his new perspective on humanity that this book brings. 

The research and academic rigour he has put into his work is exemplary, examining multiple studies on the topics he addresses from a myriad of perspectives.  He debunks Philip Zimbardo's famous Stanford Prison experiment and argues successfully for an alternative view to Richard Dawkins "The Selfish Gene". The commonly held view that society at its most base is evil and falls apart is exposed as a myth. The actual evidence he provides demonstrates that the "Lord of the Flies" inspired reality shows on television, such as Big Brother, are nothing less than an artificially manipulated fraud.

Bregmen's scientific discussion of the multiple studies is not stale but alive and fascinating. An example of this is the journey he takes us on through to the far reaches of Siberia for a fascinating experiment that has changed the view on how humanity may have evolved. 

Bregman's book is well thought out and argued and is a refreshing view on Humanity in todays COVID times with a timely warning on how negative views incorrectly given can become a self fulfilling prophecy.