I was really surprised about this book. I wasn't sure that I would like it, as it is not the type of book I would normally go for, but I actually really loved it and I found it very interesting. The book explores human nature, psychology and history and I found it all fascinating. I was eager to read each chapter and it kept me enthralled.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent read - great cross between philosophy, psychology, science and social issues. Top seller in our store since day one. Great narrator also.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury UK Audio for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book, it was so interesting to me, the content was great and it was well written and despite there being multiple topics, the book was still cohesive and smooth to read. I'll definitely be looking out for any future books from Rutger Bregman, as well as checking out his backlist books.

I was unable to open this audiobook which was a pity as I had really looked forward to listening to it. I cannot give a rating based on content so have selected 3 stars as an average.

How to summarise this book?
One of the best books I have ever read. It is hard to discuss without using clichés and appearing OTT but I have to encourage everyone to pick this up, it is an absolute masterpiece.

I liked the premise well enough, that most people are good and we need a more positive view of human nature. He goes through some standard psychological experiments/cases that anyone with a Psychology AS level will be familiar with and does a good job of running through the issues with the research or the reporting. All that's fine, but I don't think the argument for his central premise is well done, ultimately. There's lots of cherry picking things that support his premise, but so many things are ignored. I started to get a bit bored by the end.

I think that humans are both good and bad, and there's so much gray area and nuance that Bregman ignores. His take would sell more books, though.

What a change this book makes - finally, a celebration of humanity and what it is capable of. It felt gloriously unfashionable to read such a positive take, overall, on what people can do. Very timely.

Audio review first: Bregman reads the prologue and does a good job of it. He probably could have read the entire book but I like the narrator who did the rest of the book. He was engaging and easy to listen to.





This is a book about how all humans are basically good. If that immediately causes you to have a knee jerk reaction, ask yourself why. Could it be that the received and patented narrative about us all being savage selfish apes under a thin veneer of civilisation is just easier to believe? And if so, why?



Looking at everything from Negativity bias to Hobbs and Rousseau, Bregman postulates that the good in humankind immeasurably outweighs the bad - it's just that we remember the bad. Taking many real life case studies and examining them, Bregman turns over the truth about the Stanford prison experiment, Melgrim's electric shock administration experiment, how soldier's behave in war time and many more. This was a fascinating read, not least because it should challenge you to ask questions and dig deeper when the news once more presents you with a story about awful we are.



Highly recommend.

What an interesting read this is!
This is quite an eye opener and really makes you think about how we behave as human beings and the influences that determine certain types of behaviour.
It is such a positive view on Human Kind and really makes you believe that there is so much good in people, even if sometimes you have to look a little harder.
This book left me feeling rather hopeful and positive.