Review
A hopeful book about the potential for human progress when we work off facts rather than our inherent biases.
One of the most important books I’ve ever read-an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world.
A powerful antidote to pervasive pessimism and populist untruths. (Observer, Book of the Year)
Factfulness …Â , a light-hearted but data-rich book, calibrates our view of the world and explains how our cognitive processes can lead us astray (New Statesman, The best books of 2018)
Wonderful… a passionate and erudite message that is all the more moving because it comes from beyond the grave… His knack for presentation and delight in statistics come across on every page. Who else would choose a chart of “guitars per capita” as a proxy for human progress? (Financial Times)
An immensely cheering book in these anxious times. (The Times)
An assault both on ignorance and pessimism . . . helping countries improve their governance and public health and opening them up to the rule of law and market exchange works. But not by some sort of magic. Because we act. And to this, as Rosling argues, we first have to understand the world we live in. (The Times)
A wonderful guide to an improving world, as well as being a well-stocked source of sound advice as to how to think about factual and statistical claims . . . The book is a pleasure to read – simple, clear, memorable writing – and when you’ve finished you’ll be a lot wiser about the world. You’ll also feel rather happier . . . Factfulness – the relaxing peace of mind you get when you have a clearer view of how the world really is . . . I strongly recommend this book.
We need more of this way of thinking, both in business and politics. Where better to start than a new book by one of Gates’ favourite gurus, the late Swedish statistician Hans Rosling . . . in an age of so-called post-truth, this is a celebration of the all too often repudiated but underlying story of relentless human progress. (Sunday Telegraph)
[Bill] Gates had selected the tomes as his favourite summer reads . . . [which included] feel-good non-fiction . . . celebrating technological progress and genius, such as Hans Rosling’s Factfulness. (FT Magazine)
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