"Factfulness"

"Ten Reasons We're Wrong About
The World—and Why Things Are
Better Than You Think"

 

I read "Factfulness" with a book club this spring. Hans Rosling makes a convincing case that most people have an unreasonably pessimistic view of the world based on old beliefs that have never been examined or checked against current evidence.

For example, we hear a lot about global overpopulation. Here's a question from Rosling's factfulness quiz:

There are 2 billion children in the world today, aged 0 to 15 years old. How many children will there be in the year 2100, according to the United Nations?

A. 4 billion
B. 3 billion
C. 2 billion

Fewer than 10% of Americans get this question right.¹

"Moneyball"

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

"Moneyball" isn't just about baseball. It's also about what happens when a scientific approach challenges conventional wisdom, and whether natural aptitude beats mental fortitude, and what asking the right questions can bring about. It changed how I think about baseball and to a lesser extent competitive sports as a whole, but it also challenged my understanding of what it means to play to win.

Minor spoilers below.