Humankind

A Hopeful History

By: Rutger Bregman, Erica Moore, Elizabeth Manton

Narrated by: Rutger Bregman, Thomas Judd

Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The “lively” (The New Yorker), “convincing” (Forbes), and “riveting pick-me-up we all need right now” (People) that proves humanity thrives in a crisis and that our innate kindness and cooperation have been the greatest factors in our long-term success as a species.

If there is one belief that has united the left and the right, psychologists and philosophers, ancient thinkers and modern ones, it is the tacit assumption that humans are bad. It's a notion that drives newspaper headlines and guides the laws that shape our lives. From Machiavelli to Hobbes, Freud to Pinker, the roots of this belief have sunk deep into Western thought. Human beings, we're taught, are by nature selfish and governed primarily by self-interest.

But what if it isn't true? International bestseller Rutger Bregman provides new perspective on the past 200,000 years of human history, setting out to prove that we are hardwired for kindness, geared toward cooperation rather than competition, and more inclined to trust rather than distrust one another. In fact this instinct has a firm evolutionary basis going back to the beginning of Homo sapiens.

From the real-life Lord of the Flies to the solidarity in the aftermath of the Blitz, the hidden flaws in the Stanford prison experiment to the true story of twin brothers on opposite sides who helped Mandela end apartheid, Bregman shows us that believing in human generosity and collaboration isn't merely optimistic—it's realistic. Moreover, it has huge implications for how society functions. When we think the worst of people, it brings out the worst in our politics and economics. But if we believe in the reality of humanity's kindness and altruism, it will form the foundation for achieving true change in society, a case that Bregman makes convincingly with his signature wit, refreshing frankness, and memorable storytelling.

"The Sapiens of 2020."—The Guardian

"Humankind made me see humanity from a fresh perspective."—Yuval Noah Harari, author of the #1 bestseller Sapiens

Longlisted for the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction

One of the Washington Post's 50 Notable Nonfiction Works in 2020

©2020 Rutger Bregman (P)2020 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

"Rutger Bregman is one of the most provocative thinkers of our time... This book demolishes the cynical view that humans are inherently nasty and selfish, and paints a portrait of human nature that's not only more uplifting—it's also more accurate... by taking us on a guided tour of the past, he reveals how we can build a world with more givers than takers in the future."—Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals

"I greatly enjoyed reading Humankind. It made me see humanity from a fresh perspective and challenged me to rethink many long-held beliefs. I warmly recommend it to others, and I trust it will stir a lot of fruitful discussions."—Yuval Noah Harari, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Sapiens and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century

"Some books challenge our ideas. But Humankind challenges the very premises on which those ideas are based. Its bold, sweeping argument will make you rethink what you believe about society, democracy, and human nature itself. In a sea of cynicism, this book is the sturdy, unsinkable lifeboat the world needs."—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When and A Whole New Mind

Really good, but...

The book is fantastic, though I don't believe that the author could not have read (or if he did he didn't understand), "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins.

He references Dawkins' book multiple times and claims that the book concludes with the idea that humans are inherently selfish. This is not the case and is a common misconception of the ideas put forward in the book popularized by media outlets looking for a story that sells - which is ironically something that Mr. Bregman derides in his book.

Part of "The Selfish Gene" is about a genetic basis for moral behavior and how the genes themselves are selfish. Not that the genes make the organisms (aka survival machines) they build inherently selfish.

This erroneous assumption/conclusion on the part of Bregman doesn't take away from the main drive of "Humankind," but it was like nails on a chalkboard for me to hear the erroneous conclusion throughout the book.

I highly reccomend reading both wonderful books for yourself.

Good news

Want some good news for a change, some hope? Read this book. Afterward, if you're like me, you'll wish everyone would read it and act accordingly.

Required reading: redacting big societal problems

Please listen to what Rutger has to say. Look elsewhere for some deeply decolonial thinking, but this still paves the way for more than just 101 level human kindness and what that requires of humans, states, and war. The top ten lessons learned at the end, however, don't encompass or necessarily emphasize some of the most important redactions of what used to be considered scientific research. A must read for everyone, but especially folks who claim to be considering cognitive biases, as some of that "fundamental" research is upended here by looking at the real archives and biases of the folks directing those performances.

Incredible & Important

A must read for cynics, realist & everyone in between. Bregman demonstrates that we are naturally inclined to harmony not hate.

A new favorite from my favorite writer

I've been recommending this book to all my friends. Rutger Bregman calls on us to analyze some of our deepest held assumptions we make about society, and investigate how we got there in the first place. His critique of 'veneer theory' has become so increasingly relevant in this age of the 'thin blue line.' We need more out-of-the-box thinkers like Rutger Bregman, buy his book!

Truly hopeful

I've listened to this over and over. The news, Covid, and the drudgery of my job have left me quite depressed. This book gives me hope. It makes me happy to be human. We are better and we can be better!

Wonderful

This should be required reading for all of humanity. So far it’s the only book that I have immediately restarted reading once I finished it. It’s a wonderful message that is desperately needed.

A Refreshing, serious, important, challenging, and enlivening book

I’m looking forward to seeing this book being discussed and shared and to using it as a vehicle to challenge the meaning of “realistic” amongst my own circle of friends and colleagues. This book is well organized and thoughtful and references often cited studies, books and experiments that have gone unquestioned for far too long. Books like Lord of the Flies for example, have become the foundation for the proliferation of presumptions about human nature that have had widespread negative impact. Read /listen to this book and discuss it with your friends.... thank you Rutger Bregman and keep going strong! The world needs your questions and your provocations! I for one am not afraid to be an advocate of its outlook and can be steadfast in the face of cynics....because it gives me the tools to disarm their corrosive power.

An important book that culls all the reasons not to be cynical

I have always had the conviction that human beings are deeply inclined to be kind, if parochial. This books offers rich examples for believing in human kindness and eschewing cynicism.

Excellent!

Now if only we could only get the rest of the world to read it!