TheNewYorkTimesbestseller-OneofBarackObama’sFavoriteBooksof2023-ANewYorkTimesNotableBook“Abookofbigandboldideas,HumanlyPossibleishumaneinapproachand,moreimportant,readableandworthreading...Bakewelliswide-ranging,wittyandcompassionate.“-WallStreetJournal“Sweeping...linkingphilosophicalreflectionswithvibrantanecdotes.“--TheNewYorkTimesThebestsellingauthorofHowtoLiveandAttheExistentialistCaf矇exploressevenhundredyearsofwriters,thinkers,scientists,andartists,alltryingtounderstandwhatitmeanstobetrulyhumanHumanismisanexpansivetraditionofthoughtthatplacessharedhumanity,culturalvibrancy,andmoralresponsibilityatthecenterofourlives.Thehumanisticworldview--asclear-eyedandenlighteningasitiskaleidoscopicandrichlyambiguous--hasinspiredpeopleforcenturiestomaketheirchoicesbyprinciplesoffreethinking,intellectualinquiry,fellowfeeling,andoptimism.Inthissweepingnewhistory,SarahBakewell,herselfalifelonghumanist,illuminatestheverypersonal,individual,and,well,humanmatterofhumanismandtakesreadersonagrandintellectualadventure.Voyagingfromtheliteraryenthusiastsofthefourteenthcenturytothesecularcampaignersofourowntime,fromErasmustoEsperanto,fromanatomiststoagnostics,fromChristinedePizantoBertrandRussell,andfromVoltairetoZoraNealeHurston,Bakewellbringstogetherextraordinaryhumanistsacrosshistory.Sheexplorestheirimmensevariety:somesoughttopromotescientificandrationalistideas,othersputmoreemphasisonmoralliving,andstillotherswereconcernedwiththeculturalandliterarystudiesknownas“thehumanities.“HumanlyPossibleasksnotonlywhatbringsalltheseaspectsofhumanismtogetherbutwhyithassuchenduringpower,despiteoppositionfromfanatics,mystics,andtyrants.Asingularexaminationofthisvitaltraditionaswellasadazzlingcontributiontoitsliterature,thisisanintoxicating,joyfulcelebrationofthehumanspiritfromoneofourmostbelovedwriters.Andatamomentwhenwearealltooconsciousoftheworld’sdivisions,HumanlyPossible--brimmingwithideas,experimentsinliving,andrespectforthedeepestethicalvalues--servesasarecentering,acalltocareforoneanother,andareminderthatweareall,together,onlyhuman.
