NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERIn our uncertain age which can so often feel so dark and disturbing
Steven Pinker has distinguished himself as a voice of positivity.” – New York TimesCan reading
a book make you more rational? Can it help us understand why there is so much irrationality in
the world? Steven Pinker author of Enlightenment Now (Bill Gates’s new favorite book of all
time”) answers all the questions here Today humanity is reaching new heights of scientific
understanding--and also appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that developed
vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news medical quackery and
conspiracy theorizing? Pinker rejects the cynical cliché that humans are simply
irrational--cavemen out of time saddled with biases fallacies and illusions. After all we
discovered the laws of nature lengthened and enriched our lives and set out the benchmarks
for rationality itself. We actually think in ways that are sensible in the low-tech contexts in
which we spend most of our lives but fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning
we’ve discovered over the millennia: logic critical thinking probability correlation and
causation and optimal ways to update beliefs and commit to choices individually and with
others. These tools are not a standard part of our education and have never been presented
clearly and entertainingly in a single book--until now. Rationality also explores its opposite:
how the rational pursuit of self-interest sectarian solidarity and uplifting mythology can
add up to crippling irrationality in a society. Collective rationality depends on norms that
are explicitly designed to promote objectivity and truth. Rationality matters. It leads to
better choices in our lives and in the public sphere and is the ultimate driver of social
justice and moral progress. Brimming with Pinker’s customary insight and humor Rationality
will enlighten inspire and empower.
