Most people look at the world with a binary focus - have and have not; first and third world, etc. This outlook makes it hard to see the progress and growth. The late Hans Rosling describes a better way with multiple examples, helping to correct any us vs them mentality.

I really enjoyed the clarity and writing in this book. Hans battles ten instincts that keep us from seeing the changes in our world properly. These instincts (at both the company and individual level) hinder the correct choices, and some of them are frequently played on by marketing and the news. A perfect example is the Size instinct - standalone numbers often look more impressive than they actually are. When this is used against us, it isn't just bad math - an advertising company deliberately hides information so the majority of people will make the wrong choices. Fortunately the information is nearly always available - we just need a better habit of finding and comparing before buying or voting.

The cover blurbs make this seem like a self-help or business book, and it can fit in those niches. That said, I would recommend this book to all readers - I'll gladly loan you my copy. This strong quote from the book resonated with me:

“I want people, when they realize they have been wrong about the world, to feel not embarrassment, but that childlike sense of wonder, inspiration, and curiosity that I remember from the circus, and that I still get every time I discover I have been wrong: 'Wow, how is that even possible?'”

Though this one summarizes the problem best:

“Human beings have a strong dramatic instinct toward binary thinking, a basic urge to divide things into two distinct groups, with nothing but an empty gap in between. We love to dichotomize. Good versus bad. Heroes versus villains. My country versus the rest. Dividing the world into two distinct sides is simple and intuitive, and also dramatic because it implies conflict, and we do it without thinking, all the time.”