Why read The Age of Empathy?

Book cover of The Age of Empathy: Nature's Lessons for a Kinder Society

Book description

'Kindness and co-operation have played a crucial role in raising humans to the top of the evolutionary tree ... We have thrived on the milk of human kindness.' Observer

BY THE AUTHOR OF ARE WE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW HOW SMART ANIMALS ARE?

'There is a widely-held assumption that humans…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Age of Empathy as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson

Author

Often, when we talk to people about the need for more egalitarian societies, we get push back.

People say, “Oh, there will always be inequality because humans are only interested in their own survival and their own interests, they will always be out for themselves – you can’t fight human nature."

Primatologist Frans de Waal turns that argument on its head, showing the survival value of empathy, cooperation, and a sense of fairness for animals and humans alike.

From Kate's list on busting common myths about our human nature.