# Humankind by Rutger Bregman

5 Hacker News commenters recommended Humankind by Rutger Bregman and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Readers recommend it as a fact-based, hopeful take on human nature that is more positive than Sapiens, with examples of kindness in hard times. One reader rejects its main thesis.

## Why people recommend it

- Worth reading (2 comments): "It's worth a read, as it also dispels other experiments in human behaviour that have subsequently been difficult to replicate" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47588099)) "covers this and is worth a read" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46412301))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow](https://hackerapproved.com/p/dawn-of-everything.md): 23 recommend
- [Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner](https://hackerapproved.com/p/cadillac-desert.md): 18 recommend
- [The Box by Marc Levinson](https://hackerapproved.com/p/box.md): 16 recommend
- [Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari](https://hackerapproved.com/p/sapiens.md): 13 recommend
- [Chip War by Chris Miller](https://hackerapproved.com/p/chip-war.md): 13 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316418528?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780316418522) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Humankind by Rutger Bregman", https://hackerapproved.com/p/humankind/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).