All Books
Self-Growth
Business & Career
Health & Wellness
Society & Culture
Money & Finance
Relationships
Science & Tech
Fiction
Topics
Blog
Download on the App Store

Enlightenment Now

The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress

13 minSteven Pinker

What's it about

Tired of doom-scrolling and feeling like the world is falling apart? What if the constant barrage of bad news is blinding you to the truth? This book summary reveals a data-driven case for optimism, showing you how life is actually getting better, not worse. Discover how the Enlightenment values of reason, science, and humanism have led to unprecedented progress in health, wealth, safety, and happiness. You'll learn to counter pessimism with facts, understand the real drivers of human flourishing, and see the future with newfound hope and clarity.

Meet the author

Steven Pinker is a world-renowned experimental psychologist and Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, celebrated as one of today's foremost thinkers on language and the mind. Drawing on decades of cognitive science research, Pinker shifted his focus to the grand story of human progress, using data to challenge pessimism. This unique perspective, combining the science of the mind with a rigorous analysis of history, empowers his compelling case for the enduring power of reason and humanism.

Enlightenment Now book cover