This well-written work debunks negative stereotypes and psychological studies with excellent evidence, revealing that on the whole, humans are good. As a bonus, the author also explains the motivation of Nazis, terrorists, nationalists and racists. Believing in human generosity and kindness isn't merely optimistic, it's realistic.

Dig behind the fictional Lord of the Flies and you find a real incident which was far more hopeful. Behind the Stanford prison experiment and the Milgram shock machine you find lies and coaching, designed to attract viewers the same way sensationalist news does today. The research and facts this author has put together provide both a debunking of the cynical view and a breath of fresh air. Speaking of the news, "turn it off" is one of the suggestions in the epilogue "Ten Rules to Live By".

This book is an excellent counterpart to [a:Hans Rosling|2790706|Hans Rosling|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1486521286p2/2790706.jpg]'s Factfulness, which tells how the world is better off than you might think. Neither of these glosses over the problems that occur, but both put them in context and suggest ways to deal with them. I plan to reread Humankind in the future, and also want to read more from this author - though not in the original Dutch.

Highly recommended - and a relatively quick read, despite being more than 450 pages.