Great biography of an incredible man. I listened to the Audible version. We could really do with a true leader like MLK Jr today as Trump takes a wrecking ball to democracy in this country. This biography took the time to discuss the whole man and what motivated him. As with all great non-fiction I finished this book with a longer to-read list and wanting to read about more people, especially Coretta Scott King
Oh my god what a breath of fresh air! This book should be required reading. It is a well-argued book for reason, rationality and skepticism and a wonderful advocacy for science but his compassion and desire to understand others shines throughout. This book is as necessary now as it was when it was written and unfortunately given human nature I think it will always be relevant.
PS For American readers I love Sagan's idea that the Pledge of Allegiance should be directed to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights instead of to the flag and the nation as it is when the President takes his oath of office.
(An Audible listen). This is an excellent book.
I remember watching the news with horror as the Columbine shootings were reported when my first child was 18 months and I was pregnant with my second. At the time, I was thinking of the victims and the other students in the school. Now as a mother to three young adults I found this a hard listen as I know how possible it is that your children can hide their mental health struggles and the thought that anyone I might know and love could commit such an act is just horrific to contemplate. I also work in a school and know just how lacking the mental health support for students is (as it is for adults too).
Twenty four years on I don't think that America has learned the lessons we needed to, not just in regard to violence and school shootings but also with regard to suicide. Too many people think that there is a simplistic quick fix and do not want to invest in solutions they see as costly. It is too easy for people to turn their heads away until the problem hits close to home. Tech is not the solution to any of these problems. People problems need people solutions.
I like the comparison to risk assessment by one of the experts the author talked with who compared the issue with cardiovascular health. Diet, exercise, medication to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels will all save lives at the population level but you still can't predict who will have a heart attack and who won't. Similarly with suicide.