Description

‘Grayling brings satisfying order to daunting subjects’ Steven Pinker
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In very recent times humanity has learnt a vast amount about the universe, the past, and itself. But through our remarkable successes in acquiring knowledge we have learned how much we have yet to learn: the science we have, for example, addresses just 5 per cent of the universe; pre-history is still being revealed, with thousands of historical sites yet to be explored; and the new neurosciences of mind and brain are just beginning.

What do we know, and how do we know it? What do we now know that we don’t know? And what have we learnt about the obstacles to knowing more? In a time of deepening battles over what knowledge and truth mean, these questions matter more than ever. Bestselling polymath and philosopher A. C. Grayling seeks to answer them in three crucial areas at the frontiers of knowledge: science, history and psychology. A remarkable history of science, life on earth, and the human mind itself, this is a compelling and fascinating tour de force, written with verve, clarity and remarkable breadth of knowledge.
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‘Remarkable, readable and authoritative. How he has mastered so much, so thoroughly, is nothing short of amazing’ Lawrence M. Krauss, author of A Universe from Nothing

‘This book hums with the excitement of the great human project of discovery’ Adam Zeman, author of Aphantasia

Publisher Review

Once again, A. C. Grayling brings satisfying order to daunting subjects. To understand the world, we must appreciate both what is known and what remains to be known, and no one can instill that understanding more effectively than Grayling -- Steven Pinker, author of Enlightenment Now A remarkable, readable and authoritative account of the full breath of human knowledge, with insightful philosophical commentary that you might expect from Anthony Grayling. This was an ambitious undertaking and Grayling has achieved here what few others could do. How he has mastered so much, so thoroughly, is nothing short of amazing. I was particularly pleased by how up to date and accurate his treatment of modern science was. Bravo! -- Lawrence M. Krauss, author of A Universe from Nothing As we gain expertise we famously learn more and more about less and less. Anthony Grayling's absorbing new book will bring you bang up-to-date with three of the great areas of human knowledge - fundamental physics, human history and brain science. Just as importantly, Grayling explains the reasons we should remain modest and self-critical about what we believe that we know, and he points to how much we have yet to discover: as the island of knowledge grows, so does the shoreline of our ignorance. This book hums with the excitement of the great human project of discovery -- Adam Zeman, author of Aphantasia Prof. Grayling interweaves the recent scientific and archaeological advances into a compelling narrative of how much progress humans have made in the understanding of their place in the natural, social and cognitive worlds. And how ignorant we still remain providing strong motivation to further this understanding by new empirical evidence -- Tejidner Virdee FRS