Rating: 5 out of 5
I am taken aback and struck by the truthfulness that comes through every word of Mr Rosling’s. He is not a bigot and he is no one’s opponent. Mr Rosling describes the world by its facts, and he describes the problems that most people have with these facts — that they don’t know them. Throughout this story, but especially in describing his own mistakes, Mr Rosling ascended what I expect of a writer, a journalist or a scientist.
A book like this — a book which calls the reader to be mindful of the reality on the ground — would have no strength if the author could not call on their own experiences. In this case, Mr Rosling’s background is one of the strongest proofs possible that the reader is spending their time with someone who is worth it. And, at the same time, there are no party politics involved. Yet, the author humbly acknowledges the scores of errors he made in his past including that some of these lead to numerous deaths. The strength of Mr Rosling’s character had to be immense to make statements like this possible, and looking around the public sphere in 2019, this honesty easily transcends the majority of people that are given airtime.
Overall, this book is very much a call to rely on logic, reason, and evidence-based data when making decisions. This sounds easier than it is. Not only is the world aligned against a mindset that supports positive news, but also humans absolutely love drama. I hope the pointers that the author made in the course of the book help me in appreciating the world as it really is — but I will also be absolutely delighted to pick this book up again to remind myself of some of the principles that Mr Rosling espoused.
