Read Factfulness and See How the World is Actually Getting Better and Better

I love Hans Rosling’s data-driven talks about how the world is getting healthier and wealthier, slowly and steadily. When the news of his death broke, my sadness was assuaged by the announcement that he had written a final book with his son and daughter called Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World–and Why Things Are Better Than You Think.  Then Bill Gates started singing its praises. I swiftly moved it to the top of my to-read list and am glad I did. The book presents a charming, scholarly, and compelling case for why facts matter in today’s world. Rosling avoids the political pitfalls that could speckle a book like this, and instead he stays on his own steady course. He shows readers why data matter, why we as individuals must temper how we react to media portrayals, and offers a comprehensive path forward for readers and institutions alike. It’s a welcome tome that reasserts humanity in the information age, a message teachers, administrators, and parents would benefit from hearing.