By Fiona Capp
Do Humankind's Best Days Lie Ahead?
Steven Pinker, Matt Ridley, Alain De Botton and Malcolm Gladwell
Do Humankind's Best days Lie Ahead? by Steven Pinker, Matt Ridley, Alain De Botton and Malcolm Gladwell.
Oneworld, $16.99
Because a debate is adversarial and limited in time, speakers are forced to deal in black and white pronouncements and generalities. While this intellectual duelling makes for a punchy live performance, the flourish with which the words are delivered is lost on the page. In this case, the breadth and vagueness of the topic Do Humankind's Best Days Lie Ahead? doesn't help. Frustratingly, the speakers seem to be at cross-purposes. While Steven Pinker and Matt Ridley are arguing for progress, Alain de Botton and Malcolm Gladwell are addressing the delusion of perfectibility and the unpredictable nature of the future. The most satisfying part, ironically enough, is Ali Wyne's post-debate summary. With the debate freely available online on video and podcast, this published version inevitably reads like a pale shadow of the real thing.