Rutger Bregman sets out to debunk the ‘veneer theory’, the idea that humans have a thin facade of civilisation that easily cracks under pressure to reveal the evil creature within all of us, as depicted in William Golding’s classic novel, The Lord of the Flies.

Some of the examples Bregman investigates are fascinating, from the Christmas truce in the trenches of World War I, to the history of Easter Island, to the psychological thought experiments that supposedly proved how evil we are: the Stanford Prison Experiment and the Milgram Shock Machine experiment.

This is not a blindly, naively optimistic book. Bregman addresses the evils that humans do perpetrate, but he is also clear on the role that newspapers and social media play in creating clickbait content that incites fear and prejudice and doesn’t in fact accurately reflect how most of us live. Humankind is, however, a book with a purpose—to raise our expectations of humanity and to inspire us to hope that we can create a better society. It is a thoroughly inspiring book as well as being very readable and engaging.

This is an interesting take on some of those famous experiments (e.g. Stamford Prison experiment) or new stories, including additional information or new experiments. It was a bit of a slog at times but it's written so that's accessible to the masses. I wouldn't re-read it but it was interesting. It is already out of date though - talks about how the human race hasn't had to deal with a massive viral outbreak in almost a century, for example. That's a shame as it automatically made me wonder what else has changed since he wrote it. Probably not a lot to be fair. I'd be interested to read an new chapter once COVID-19 has run its course evaluating the human response to it.

You know when sometimes books just appear in your life when you most need them? I was feeling a bit disillusioned with humankind recently. With the initial panic of the coronavirus, all I saw on twitter, were news how people were stockpiling without a second thought of what that would mean for everybody else, Americans queuing up outside gun shops to bulk-buy ammunition and guns in case the shops would run out of food and Trump trying to buy the vaccine ‘but only for Americans’. The evidence kept mounting up, and all I could think was ‘Wow, we really are a selfish bunch’. And then Bregman came and proved me wrong.

‘Humankind’ is packed with stories and interpretations and study findings which you most likely haven’t heard before. There were moments were I sat shocked as even some of the fundamental things I’d learned in my psychology and sociology classes, recently have been proven to have not been true, and well I failed to hear about them. At others times, I sat smiling, feeling a tinge of warmth as chapter after chapter I was shown the goodness that ‘homo puppy’ (as Bregman came to call our species) was capable of showing.

Bregman looked at Hobbes’ and Rousseu’s views of civilisation, bystander effect, bullying, non-complementary behaviour, prison structure, participatory democracy, employees directing their own teams, kids’ playgrounds among many other fascinating stuff. There’s an overload of information in this book, but the clear and concise language and structure will make it easy to read and absorb. It’s easier if you start at the beginning and read from beginning to end, but it will also work if you pick and choose random chapters as any previous information needed for context, will be shown by the inclusion of the correct chapter number to which you can term if needed. Bregman does not come across as patronising and overbearing, but as a likeable narrator, or that cool teacher who would sometimes share jokes and anecdotes whilst still managing to deliver the context of the lesson, and keep everybody interested.

Overall, I really loved this book, and there’s no question about it when I say that I will be returning to it several more times. I might have started the book as a cynic, but as I turned the last page I no longer felt like one; I learned the majority of us are actually decent despite what the newspapers will have you believe. I urge all of you to give this one a try; we all need a more positive outlook of the world and ‘Humankind’ might just be the easiest way to start.

Rutger Bregman returns with one of the most anticipated nonfiction titles of the year. What makes this such a fantastic read is that it is equal parts fascinating and informative; many such books can be dry and tedious but Humankind avoids those pitfalls by employing a highly readable writing style to entice you to carry on turning the pages well into the night. At its heart, this is a book about human nature and on the whole is optimistic about life. I found it different from what I would usually read as I am quite the cynic and it has taught me interesting anecdotal tidbits I will remember. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC.

Fascinating and, on the whole, wonderfully easy to read exploration of some of the weighty moral and philosophical issues - are we essentially a good species or is civilisation only a veneer waiting to crack? I’d argue recent events are demonstrating much more the former, given the increased community support we’ve seen during Covid, and to a confirmed chic like myself that’s been a lovely surprise.... Bregman illustrates his arguments with a mixture of the familiar, the unfamiliar, and the familiar retold to demonstrate much of what we may think we know is a lie or at best a distortion (the Stanford prison experiment being a key example for me). The language is relatively simplistic (i.e. not weighted down with academic terms for the sake of it), but the discussion is complex - a task which so many writers fail! Bregman is persuasive, and although i don’t buy everything the narrative journey is compelling and i’m convinced by more than i expected. Good popular science, told well and leaving plenty to chew on.

Humankind by Rutger Bregman

Humankind is an intensely readable, uplifting and educational book.

Bregman sets out to show that humans are intrinsically good and want the best for each other.

He spends a good proportion of the book refuting negative portrayals of human nature. He picks apart Lord of the Flies, the Stanford prison experiment, the history of Easter Island, bystander apathy as well as other misrepresented or misconstrued events.

It would seem that the mainstream media has a lot to answer for in creating a negative view of humanity. Sensationalism being a major selling point. “The news, according to dozens of studies is a mental health hazard.” It’s also a hazard to democracy (at least in the UK) but I’ll leave that point for now.

Bregman states that “It’s when crisis hits...that we humans become our best selves.” This is definitely true in the age of Corona. Communities have rallied together to support the vulnerable. Our local boat community has set up networks of support that will continue long after the virus runs its course.

As a former teacher I could see children thrive when they were encouraged and praised. Assume the best in people and you will meet their best. Bregman argues that this kind of thinking has the power to reform our schools, prisons, businesses and democracies.

This is what I was hoping for from this book. Unfortunately there’s a long way to go before Bregman has a fully fledged theory of his own. His ten rules to live by are a great start. We all need kindness, compassion and understanding for one another.

Hope, for me, is a radical act. “For the powerful, a hopeful view of human nature is downright threatening. Subversive. Seditious. It implies that we ’re not selfish beasts that need to be reined in, restrained and regulated. It implies that we need a different kind of leadership.”

Hope gives us the power to change ourselves and our societies. This book really made me think and question. It took a long time to read but I think it will stay with me for a long time. I recommend it as an antidote to mainstream media!

Thanks to @netgalley and @bloomsburypublishing for my eARC.

#netgalley #rutgerbregman

It was a fascinating, complex and thought provoking book but not an easy one as it's packed of information and food for thought.
I liked the basic theory, all men are good, and I liked how the author use historical examples to support his theory.
It's not the kind of book you read when you want something light and entertaining.
I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

3.5/5

Wow. This book takes all of my brain and then some. This is not the kind of thing you want to read when you're looking for something comforting or easy. Bregman presents dense, meticulously researched evidence to support his claims that humans are intrinsically good, even when we believe they're bad. He combs anthropology, psychology, philosophy, sociology - and puts it all into this tome about humankind.

This book is a lot and right now, I was just not in the right mindset. For about half of it, I was on-board, paying attention, absorbing the information, but after 200+ pages without a break from the intensity of this book, I got really fatigued by it. Picking it up felt like a real chore. There's nothing inherently wrong with the book, but I managed to get through his first book - 'Utopia for Realists' - with a bit more speed and comprehension. In fact, this book is almost OVER populated with information, analyses and cases. You quickly lose your footing as an avalanche of evidence comes tumbling over you.

If you can get along with dense nonfiction, there's really no better time to read something like this. It praises humanity's ability to come together in a crisis and debunks studies and experiments that have attempted to provide a more cynical view on humanity. There are moments of great joy and epiphany in this book, but it's so easy to get worn out by it constantly being 'on'. It's like reading an academic textbook cover to cover.