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June 2, 2009

Book Review – What Are You Optimistic About?

What Are You Optimistic About?: Today’s Leading Thinkers on Why Things Are Good and Getting Better
Edited by John Brockman

Anyone who reads, listens to, or watches mainstream news and media undoubtedly gets the impression that the state of mankind is in rapid decline and we’re all heading towards utter destruction and misery. Maybe some of this is true, but it’s nice to hear some good news for a change. And this book gives us good news put forth by some of the world’s leading thinkers and visionaries.

John Brockman, Publisher and Editor of Edge, has organized a collection of wise and informed answers to the question he posed to various notable contributors. That question was:

As an activity, as a state of mind, science is fundamentally optimistic. Science figures out how things work and thus can make them work better. Much of the news is either good news or news that can be made good, thanks for ever deepening knowledge and ever more efficient and powerful tools and techniques. Science, on its frontiers, poses more and ever better questions, ever better put.

What are you optimistic about? Why? Surprise us!

Read this book and prepare to feel a bit better about mankind’s fate and the future of life on this planet. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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