Alongside his research into cognition, the psychologist Steven Pinker has forged a career as a bestselling science writer. His latest book, Enlightenment Now tackles 21st-century doom and gloom with a vigorous defence of reason, science and progress. According to Pinker, the idea that we’re going to hell in a handcart is an empirical claim that is just wrong – health, prosperity, peace, knowledge and happiness are all on the rise. It’s all because of the Enlightenment, he argues, and the gradual spread of the problem-solving mentality that finds its fullest expression in science. Reading listEnlightenment Now by Steven Pinker (Allen Lane)

Source: The Guardian February 27, 2018 09:00 UTC