Humankind

A Hopeful History

By: Rutger Bregman

Narrated by: Thomas Judd, Rutger Bregman

Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Bloomsbury presents Humankind by Rutger Bregman, read by Rutger Bregman and Thomas Judd.

The Sunday Times best seller.

A Guardian, Times, Daily Telegraph and Financial Times summer listen.

It’s a belief that unites the left and right, psychologists and philosophers, writers and historians. It drives the headlines that surround us and the laws that touch our lives. From Machiavelli to Hobbes, Freud to Dawkins, the roots of this belief have sunk deep into Western thought. Human beings, we’re taught, are by nature selfish and governed by self-interest.

Humankind makes a new argument: that it is realistic, as well as revolutionary, to assume that people are good. The instinct to cooperate rather than compete, trust rather than distrust, has an evolutionary basis going right back to the beginning of Homo sapiens. By thinking the worst of others, we bring out the worst in our politics and economics too.

In this major book, internationally best-selling author Rutger Bregman takes some of the world’s most famous studies and events and reframes them, providing a new perspective on the last 200,000 years of human history. From the real-life Lord of the Flies to the Blitz, a Siberian fox farm to an infamous New York murder, Stanley Milgram’s Yale shock machine to the Stanford prison experiment, Bregman shows how believing in human kindness and altruism can be a new way to think – and act as the foundation for achieving true change in our society.

It is time for a new view of human nature.

©2020 Rutger Bregman (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"Never dewy-eyed, wistful or naive, Rutger Bregman makes a wholly robust and convincing case for believing - despite so much apparent evidence to the contrary - that we are not the savage, irredeemably greedy, violent and rapacious species we can be led into thinking ourselves to be. Hugely, highly and happily recommended." (Stephen Fry)

"Rutger Bregman’s extraordinary new book is a revelation.... Humankind is masterful in its grasp of history, both ancient and modern." (Susan Cain, author of Quiet)

"Cynicism is a theory of everything, but, as Rutger Bregman brilliantly shows, an elective one. This necessary book widens the aperture of possibility for a better future, and radically." (David Wallace-Wells, author of The Uninhabitable Earth)

Really enjoyable read...

Really enjoyed the fresh perspective as well as all the examples of Human Kindness. Thank you.

Mind shifting, hopeful (hi)story of our kind

Great arguments and thoughts. I have still a little doubt about it, that it isn't all perfect knowledge. But it's clear this book tries to go a long way to find valuable information and give you the other, more common, side of "human nature" which our western culture miss so much.

The most positive book I’ve ever read or listened to

I would like this book to be required reading for all students. It shows us all just what humans can do when they put their minds to it. It’s not just a fuzzy feel good book. The author shares all his research and leaves the reader the gift of allowing for more research to be done on a personal level. I’m telling all my friends if they only read one book this year, make it this one. There is a lot to take in. I’ve listened to it twice already and I know I will revisit it again.

Hope for humanity

Absolutely loved this! I am people hating pessimist, but this book gave me new hope for humanity. Will be listening to this again, for sure.

You should be listening to this

A book everyone could benefit from reading (or listening to) .
What are you waiting for?

😳😲🤩

sometimes digging deeper reveals incredible good news! so many things we acquired as sound experiments were in fact just the result of a super ego projections, wow, it really changed radically my vision on humankind, thank you Prof. Bregman!

A very important read

This book gives me hope and it has reset some of my views on humanity

Excellent- a must read

Excellent book and was narrated wonderfully. The book covered a broad range of topics, it was the next step or setting after the book call Sapians: A Brief History of Humankind.

Highly recommend this book

Needed this

I really needed this, something hopeful and backed by data as a reason to be optimistic about the world...

Bregman offers a strong argument that the cynical default state we are so accustomed to in media is not actually true. Stories of drama and conflict and misery might be more interesting, but not in fact good representations of human nature.

From debunking famous studies, to showcasing many more lesser-known ones, it's important to understand that it's not all grim. A lot of history going back to hunter-gatherer era and the whole Hobbes & Rousseau debate. One interesting term on evolved friendliness would be 'homo puppy'

Overall, it's key to remember that humans are cooperative by nature. Not competitive. Don't trust those leaders who say otherwise!

Kindness

This book as completely changed my outlook on life, and challenges me to be a better human. Thank you!