Last week when I was complaining about Jeff Bezos and writing about applesauce and reading more poetry, a kind anonymous commenter left me an intriguing comment:
"Hi Bonny,
Long time reader but lurker. Love your book reviews and your hitchikers, although I am yet to start one of my own.
May
I recommend the book "Humankind", by Rutger Bregman, as an excellent
antidote (rather than a temporary escape) to the current state of the
world?"
I replied:
"Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and the book recommendation. I'm heading to a used bookstore tomorrow to look for some Ted Kooser poetry books, but I've just borrowed Humankind from my library and will start listening to it tonight. I could surely use an antidote to the current state of things and I'm hopeful that this book might provide it. The subtitle (A Hopeful History) sounds promising!"
And then she replied with an even more thoughtful comment:
"Thank you for taking the time to reply to an anonymous comment so kindly.
I
have been thinking over my wording and I think rather than antidote,
maybe a better description of the effect of "Humankind" is that it has
made a permanent change in my state of mind; it is easier to take the
news with a grain of salt sometimes, ignore it without guilt when I need
to, and find a place of mental comfort. It has made it much easier to
be hopeful about the future."
I will always read and consider kind, helpful, and thoughtful comments, especially those that contain book recommendations. This was especially nice, since most of the previous anonymous comments I've gotten have called me a crazy Democrat, berated me for talking about politics, and telling me I need to stick to knitting. This was a welcome change!
So I did read the recommended book and I've thought about it for a couple of days. I'm sharing my review here in case some of you might also be interested in a hopeful book.
Humankind by Rutger Bregman is an
engaging and optimistic read that challenges the notion that humans are
fundamentally selfish or cruel. The book is filled with fascinating
anecdotes—from real-life Lord of the Flies scenarios to historical acts
of kindness—but it lacks a strong foundation in scientific studies to
back up its central claim: that “most people, deep down, are pretty
decent.”
One of the book’s big weaknesses for me is that Bregman never
clearly defines what it means to be “pretty decent.” Does this mean we
should expect people to be kind and helpful in most situations? Or
simply that they have the capacity for decency under the right
conditions? Without a more concrete definition, his argument feels
slippery.
The author does discuss the Holocaust as evidence of
the human capacity for evil, and argues that power, influence, and
survival play a bigger role than a lust for violence in the decisions
people make. He suggests that social conformity and camaraderie between
soldiers may explain the Holocaust, but the Holocaust was just too big
and beyond horrendous to be explained simply by wanting to conform.
Bregman thinks that the idea that humans are inherently selfish may have
created a self-fulfilling prophecy. These all seem to be a matter of
degrees, and I think that power influence, survival, and a rather large
capacity for evil and cruelty all played a part in the Holocaust.
While
I appreciated the book’s hopeful perspective—especially in an era where
cynicism, selfishness, and just plain cruelty often dominate—some
real-world events have made me question his thesis. If more than half of
people in the US vehemently resisted something as straightforward as
mask mandates during COVID-19, can we really say that “most people” are
fundamentally good? It seems more accurate to say that some people are
decent some of the time.
That said, Humankind offers a
much-needed dose of optimism, and Bregman is a gifted storyteller. If
you’re looking for an uplifting perspective on human nature (even if
it’s a bit idealistic), this book is worth a read. Just don’t expect a
deeply scientific or airtight case for its claims. Three and a half
stars rounded up.
And because it's Friday at the end of a long week and this post only has one picture of a book cover, here are a couple of photos of adorable Valais Blacknose sheep.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
