First published 2018
Cognitive scientist Steven Pinker demolishes the doom-and-gloom headlines. With 75 data-driven graphs, he shows life, health, prosperity, and happiness are soaring worldwide. This progress isn't cosmic chance, but the gift of Enlightenment ideals - the conviction that reason and science can improve the human condition. Yet the Enlightenment project faces tribalism, authoritarianism, and magical thinking from demagogues and ideologues. Pinker makes an urgent case for humanism to confront our challenges and continue our march of progress.
Genres: philosophy, popular-science, political-science, non-fiction, academic, history-of-science
Vibes: data-driven, thought-provoking, urgent
Tropes: data-driven, urgent-case
Period: 21st Century
576 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books