If 2021 was ever in need of an antidote for the past year or so of seemingly relentless Covid-19 lockdown turmoil, then Hans Rosling's 2018 'Factulfness' is well worth a re-read. Or, if you're one of the lucky few never to have read it (and I mean that in the most complimentary way... after all one can only lose their 'Factfulness virginity' once) then prepare to have your reevaluate your preconceptions.
Hans Rosling was a medical doctor, advisor to the World Health Organisation and co-founder of Medicine Sans Frontières in his native Sweden as well as the Gapminder Foundation. His last years leading up to his death in 2017 were dedicated to writing this book with his son, and his daughter in law, Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlund. So why would I choose to review for a 3 year old book as a first blog post on my new site in 2021? Because every leader, follower, educator and student should own a copy and cherish it. It is a rare example of a printed version of the truth; warts and all. It makes the reader question the world around them, or rather, appreciate it that little bit more... it makes them question the news and our information sources, scratching a little deeper to find authoritative evidence when something we read just doesn't seem quite right. Surely as we delve ever deeper into the second decade of our 21st century, that can only be a good thing!? Okay, so as you might have guessed, this text pertains to a world pre-pandemic. But it also bestows some truly astonishing (and still relevant) facts on a myriad of topics and across no less than 10 human 'instincts' in easy to digest chapters. Spoiler alert - it goes on to prove most of what you thought you knew to be true, to be largely false; from negativity to fear, to blame and urgency. Imagine a book that can make you actually feel better about those 4 topics, without at any stage lying to you... Factfulness is exactly that book.
Despite its age Factfulness maintains its relevance owing largely to its honesty and transparency. It's very easy to do a check of the sources detailed in the book, as they are all are meticulously detailed and easy to search for online for a quick update. As a side note, I would recommend that you obtain yourself a printed or digital copy of the book rather than an audiobook, if you can as Factfulness is packed with interesting graphics, charts and pictorials that (if you are a visual learner like myself) help to quickly understand the points being made.
As tough as the current times may be for us all, Factfulness is still relevant and will restore your faith that ours is a future worthy of leading others into.
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