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bookdragon_sansan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
2.0
redcephei's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
It's such a good book. I feel like a more knowledgeable person having read this. It's the type of book you don't just read, but reflect on and implement. I need to spend a few days sitting with this and sorting everything I've learned. It's provided me with so many more topics and ideas to hone in on. The writing style is engaging, digestible, and surprisingly funny even when the topic being discussed is complex. He covers a variety of subjects which I now have a basic understanding of. Some of my previous ideas on morality and politics have been challenged so I'm excited about scrutinising them. Side note: his vocabulary is extensive I didn't think I'd learn so many new words haha
bems's review against another edition
2.0
Read “The Drunkard’s Walk” instead, it has the same examples without such a negative tone. This book out me in such a bad reading slump that I had to force myself to finish it.
t_roth32's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this book and it made several great points that should not be downplayed (Bayes Theorem, etc), but Pinker decides to use politics and the last few years to justify the theories and discussion rather than statistical data. In doing so, Pinker reverts to the arguments his book his trying to dissuade. The last chapter focuses on the future and again heavily involves more politics without actual data to back up. While this book is timely in current years, I'm curious if it stands the test of time. Foundational argument is there, but it fails to deliver its key points without pushing forth a narrative and political agenda.
alexcribbs's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.5
Makes some interesting points! Had some great quotes and charts and explanations.
warhistory4's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
Another great read from Mr. Pinker, as always he hits you with a ton of evidence as to why he takes the stance he does- that Rationality matters. Unlike Enlightenment now, this book focuses on a single topic for the whole duration of the book: Rationality. I appreciate the hard work he puts into every book and this one is no different with all the scientific data, polls, graphs and charts. Sometimes the book can be very dense for this layman here (especially the math bits), and yet Pinker does his best to later on tie complicated points together so that everyone can learn a little something.
maxlgy's review against another edition
funny
informative
medium-paced
4.25
Professor Pinker explores the importance and lack of rationality in modern times through a social science lens, giving a deeper understanding of probability, fallacies and traps that we are fallible to.
olityr's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
The first 9 chapters are brilliant training on rational thinking. The last 2 chapters he gets very political and it's a sad shift. I wish he'd ended after chapter 9, with maybe a shortened, non-political, version of chapter 11 as an outro.
Ch. 1-9 are 5 star reading, ch. 10 is 1 star, ch. 11 maybe 2 star.
Ch. 1-9 are 5 star reading, ch. 10 is 1 star, ch. 11 maybe 2 star.