Review - Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman

This 2020 nonfiction book takes an interesting perspective on the world: that by and large, humans are not awful. Written by Dutch historian Rutger Bregman, this book incorporates history, psychology, economics, and politics without sacrificing gravity or wit.

In fact, the discussion of so many historical events and psychology experiments is so rich and compelling that you will be torn between ripping through the book and studying each chapter in depth. And it’s worth taking time with it, to really sit with the information.

This book takes the true story of Lord of the Flies, the murder of Kitty Genovese, the Stanford Prison Experiment, and so many other stories that have been used to tell ourselves that people are inherently bad, and it completely breaks them down to show the opposite is usually true. Not that this book shies away from historical atrocities, but it gives so much context to our behaviors that it's impossible to not walk away with a sense of hopefulness.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for proof of the kindness and altruism of humanity.