A Critical Review of Humankind
Rutger Bregman’s book Humankind is one of the books that questions negative ideas about human nature and makes readers think. For many years, many people believed that humans are naturally selfish, bad, and only care about themselves. However, Bregman does not agree with this idea. According to him, human nature is not as dark as people think. Instead, people are more willing to help each other, understand others’ feelings, and do good things. In the book, the author supports these ideas with many examples from wars, psychology experiments, history, and biology. One of the best parts of the book is that it gives hope about humanity. Still, when I finished the book, I did not only feel admiration. On one side, I was happy to read it because it made me think differently. On the other side, some of the author’s ideas felt too optimistic to me. Because of this, the book was both interesting and questionable for me.
One of the strongest parts of the book is that it makes people question ideas about human nature that many accept without thinking. Today, we often see violence, murder, wars, and fights on television, social media, and in the news. After some time, people start to believe that the world is full of bad people. At this point, Bregman asks an important question: If humans were really bad by nature, how could societies survive for so many years? A big part of human history was shaped by helping each other, working together, and surviving together. From this side, the writer’s ideas are important and meaningful.
His ideas against the belief that humans are naturally wild are especially interesting. Today, when someone behaves badly, people sometimes say, “Did you grow up in a cave?” However, Bregman says that hunter-gatherer societies were not as violent as many
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach may appear to be a simple story about a bird, but it develops into a layered allegory about individuality, freedom, and spiritual growth. Jonathan, unlike the rest of his flock, is not satisfied with living only to eat and survive. He becomes obsessed with flight not as a tool, but as a way of reaching perfection and understanding something greater about existence itself.
This desire isolates him. The flock, representing conformity and societal limitation, rejects him for refusing to follow its narrow rules. His exile symbolizes the cost of individuality: those who question norms are often cast out. Yet this separation is also what allows Jonathan to grow. Freed from the expectations of others, he pushes himself further and eventually reaches a higher level of existence, where he learns that true perfection is not just physical but spiritual.
Flight becomes the central symbol of the story. It represents self-discovery, discipline, and transcendence. The sky stands for infinite possibility, suggesting that limits are not absolute but largely self-imposed. Jonathan’s journey reflects the pursuit of self-actualization, the idea that fulfillment comes from realizing one’s full potential.
At the same time, the story strongly echoes Biblical patterns, especially those associated with Jesus Christ. Jonathan is rejected by his community, ascends to a higher plane of understanding, and returns as a teacher. He gathers followers and teaches them that they, too, can overcome their limitations. Like Christ, he emphasizes growth, belief, and a deeper understanding of existence.
However, Bach reinterprets these ideas in a more philosophical and less doctrinal way. There is no focus on sin or divine judgment. Instead, the central
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40-70p: Hafif bağımlı 👀
80p+: Geçmiş olsun, kitaplar seni ele geçirmiş 😅
As the fourth installment in Kawaguchi’s renowned series, Before We Say Goodbye offers a familiar yet profoundly moving structure. For those who have journeyed through the previous books, the narrative pattern remains consistent: a small, subterranean cafe in Tokyo, a set of unyielding rules, and a steaming cup of coffee that acts as a bridge between the present and the past.
There is an undeniable aesthetic harmony in reading this book during rainy weather. The sound of the rain outside mirrors the quiet, introspective atmosphere of the Funiculi Funicula cafe. To truly appreciate this story, one needs nothing more than a quiet corner, a warm cup of coffee, and the luxury of time.
At its core, the series continues to pose the same existential question: "If you could go back in time, knowing you cannot change the present, who would you choose to meet?" While some might see the repetition as a flaw, I see it as a meditative ritual.
Ultimately, I would define this work as a poignant chronicle of grief. It explores the weight of things left unsaid and the quiet strength required to finally let go. It reminds us that while we cannot rewrite our history, we can always choose to change how we carry our memories into the future.
Real lifeDuygu ve Düşünce
I have already read the book. It was a deeply and weird story. We can take several thoughts from the story. In a weird way, i read during my ielts preparation. The latest is related to study abroad. The book disturp my beliefs. I work hard to achieve my desires and goals. However, the book highlights that you should not wanna do antyhing deeply. It is likely that murphy rules happen in our live. Meanwhile if i hvae chance i wanna try to do. But it should be wisely, not randomly. The book can die our dreams that you shoud not want to be any your goals. So why i dont wanna? Why i dont try to do anything for it?
I. INTRODUCTION: THE PURPOSE OF THE NOVEL
Tess of the d’Urbervilles is Thomas Hardy’s most powerful and controversial novel, written as a direct challenge to Victorian moral, religious, and sexual values. Through the life of Tess Durbeyfield, a poor rural woman, Hardy exposes the cruelty of a society that equates female worth with sexual “purity,” excuses male transgression, and disguises injustice as moral order.
Hardy does not present Tess as a fallen woman seeking redemption. Instead, he presents her as morally pure from beginning to end, and argues that the true corruption lies not in Tess, but in the social systems that destroy her.
II. DETAILED SUMMARY (WITH SPOILERS)
1. Origins and the Weight of Ancestry
Tess Durbeyfield is the eldest daughter of a poor rural family in Wessex. Her life changes when her father learns that they may be descended from the ancient aristocratic d’Urberville family. This discovery fills her parents with ambition and false hope, while Tess herself feels unease rather than pride.
When Tess accidentally causes the death of the family’s horse, Prince—their sole means of livelihood—she feels intense guilt and responsibility. This event, driven by chance rather than moral fault, sets the tragic pattern of her life: random misfortune followed by self-blame.
To help her family recover financially, Tess is sent to seek help from the wealthy d’Urbervilles—unaware that they are not true aristocrats, but merely have purchased the name.
2. Alec d’Urberville and Sexual Violation
At Trantridge, Tess meets Alec d’Urberville, a manipulative and predatory man who immediately fixates on her. Despite Tess’s repeated resistance and discomfort, Alec pursues her relentlessly.
The pivotal event of the novel occurs when Alec sexually violates Tess in
laws of medicine
1 -> strong intuition is much more powerful than a weak test
2 -> normals teach us rules, outliers teach us laws
3 -> for every perfect medical experiment, there's a perfect human bias