"The goal of higher income is not just bigger piles of money. The goal of longer lives is not just extra time. The ultimate goal is to have the freedom to do what we want"
Factfulness by Hans Rosling is a book that challenges the common misconceptions and negative biases that people have about the world and its progress. The author, who identifies himself as a 'possibilist', uses data and graphs to show how the world has improved over the years in various aspects such as health, education, income, and environment. He also explains the different human instincts that lead us to form distorted views of reality and offers strategies to overcome them.
The author draws from his extensive experience as a medical practitioner and a public speaker who has traveled and interacted with people from different countries and backgrounds. He writes with a lot of optimism which he calls 'possibilism', meaning that he acknowledges the problems that exist but also sees the possibilities for solving them.
The book begins with 13 questions that test the reader's knowledge of the current state of the world. The answers are revealed and discussed in the following eleven chapters, each focusing on a specific topic and instinct. The chapters end with a summary of key ideas and tips on how to practice 'factfulness'. If you are a reader of self-help books, most of these are repetitive.
The book is a light read. However, sometimes you may feel the author's tone to be patronizing especially when he talks about the low-income countries or 'level 1' and 'level 2' as he calls them. He also tends to oversimplify some complex issues and ignore some of the challenges and trade-offs that come with development.
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