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THE BLUE & GOLD

THE BLUE & GOLD

REVIEW | "Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think"

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[Laura H./The Blue & Gold]

“Factfulness” by Hans Rosling talks about how the world is improving more than we imagine it to be. The introduction provides the reader with a 13 question quiz that highlights most readers’ misconception of the world. Rosling believes that no one has fully grasped how basic global facts have evolved throughout the years, which thus leads people to have an overdramatic world view.
Rosling breaks down these dramatic instincts into ten different categories. One of which involves the gap instinct, which describes how people tend to divide things into two very distinct groups. 
This book is packed with plentiful research, but is also equipped with uninviting aspects as well. The author’s tone in the beginning of the book came across as condescending. In fact, the information or data given feels like it is excessively polished, making it hard for the reader to disregard the slight bias the text seems to convey.
Despite Rosling’s assertive tone throughout the text, I do rightfully enjoy “Factfulness” in which he makes efforts in spreading awareness about how we are wrong about the world, and that the world is better than we think it is. It is inspiring to see Rosling dedicate the last few years of his life to contribute in the creation of this book with his son and daughter-in-law after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He died one year after being diagnosed, and his children continued on to finish writing the book. 

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