Bregman is not naive; he grounds his arguments in reassessments of historical events and in studies from the sciences and social sciences, observing that the preponderance of evidence demonstrates that people are much more inclined toward good than toward evil. He debunks a number of long-held beliefs.

Bregman has a Gladwellian gift for sifting through academic reports and finding anecdotal jewels. And, like the Canadian populariser, he’s not afraid to take his audience on a digressive journey of discovery.

Releasing a book with the subtitle 'a hopeful history' during a pandemic that has led to thousands of deaths, put millions out of work and threatens to undermine the global financial system, is a brave choice...But Dutch historian Rutger Bregman’s latest work has enough research and anecdotes to make even Hobbesian cynics feel a little less jaded about humanity — even if they may not be fully convinced by every anecdote or example that he offers.

... [a] stimulating treatise on reshaping society, which arrives at a good moment for two reasons. The first is that the coronavirus crisis has largely displayed people at their best, while its impact has made many yearn for a more optimistic vision of the future..

Bregman sprints at a breakneck pace around history and science.

... lively and illuminating.

... coherent, well-proven.

... has many quotable quotes on every page, and is full of powerful aphorisms drawn from the history of political thought.

... a passionate plea for a radical revision of our view of mankind and a call to collective behavioral change.

Like most big-idea books, this one begins by absurdly overstating the novelty of its argument.

Bregman describes businesses without bosses, schools in which teachers assume that students want to learn, and local governments in which citizens exert genuine power wisely. Readers may wonder why these are not spreading like wildfire. Since good studies show that deeply held false beliefs remain immune to evidence, human depravity must qualify.

... intriguing.