Review: Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World—and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World—and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love books that make you think. This one certainly does that! It took a while to get through it. As you probably know, my reading is done at bedtime. This was not that kind of book. Though it was nonfiction, a lot of it kept me up at night.

There were eye-opening statistics that one might not have thought of before. Predictive statistics that the book talked about were even more eye-opening. One of the most striking was made clear to me, showed that like the chart of a newborn baby can’t predict with the same growth later in life. We don’t expect a baby to continue to grow as much or as fast as a school child as the newborn. If a person kept that same growth rate we’d all be giants. So predictive charts need to look at other aspects during different times, incomes, health and wealth influences. I know I’m not saying this the way the author did. But the points he made similar to the example I tried to put forth, were equally stunning.

My friend recommended this book and I am glad I followed through. On the other hand, I must admit that I would have gotten a lot more out of the book had I had the paper book. Since I have trouble reading tree-books for the eye-sight and font issue, I listen to the text-to-speech. The problem was that I didn’t take the moment to read the charts and graphs presented to help the reader understand how things really are as opposed to how we think they are.

Even so, I found this a super interesting book that in the future I might just try to find the paper book just for the illustrations. Maybe I don’t agree with all his perspectives, it seems I have read somewhere that statistics are rarely pure. Most are bent to reflect the person’s paid position to research to the paid end. Still closing one’s eyes to the possibilities presented in this book are so much more destructive than paying attention and learning what we can from it all.

Give it a try. I picked my copy from the local e-library.

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Battery Woes

I have had my computer a little while. Maybe a couple years? It’s an HP Notebook.
Remind me not to get HP again. From the beginning, the thing heated up so much there was no such thing as putting it on my lap. And the battery wouldn’t hold a charge so we had to go back to the store to get another battery and adapter. Still, it didn’t hold a charge. I’ve always had to keep it plugged in. Could never get far from the outlet, like you’re supposed to with laptops. And NOW it is shutting off when you least expect it.

This put a damper on my day. I’m so far behind on everything because I had to take the time and order new battery and adapter. Why isn’t it easy? I couldn’t find anywhere on the computer where the information of what is needed could be found. Remember in the old days when we ran them on the cover wagons, that you could hover over the icon of the computer and find out everything you needed to know? No. Information. Anywhere! Finally, I shut it down and looked on the back and wrote all those codes down. Remember in those same covered wagon days when we could read those little squiggles? I had to get my trusty cell phone lighted magnifying app to read it all. Thank you, Joey, for your cute blog about that!

Then I go to HP site and off course they only expect you to have a computer for a year because all the info on my computer is long gone. Remember, covered wagonie times when thing could be expected to last at least a little while? If not, you knew it came from Japan or China or Taiwan. But we bought this thinking HP was a pretty reliable name. Yeah, sure. Of course, I know nothing is made here anymore and the plan is to keep a consumer consuming. But out here in the country, there are still covered wagons.

Fade to credits music plays Little House On The Prairie…

Sorry. Just needed to rant. We’ll see if the new battery and adapter will work. They aren’t cheap! Oh, and Kali jumped into my lap as I was writing and–yep had to restart this darned machine. Luckily, WordPress saved it! So I can’t blame them if this is a run-on rant. What laptop should I save up for? I have a tablet but I really need the big screen. I do want it to be light-weight. Who am I kidding? I just need new glasses so I can see.

Stream of Conscience Saturday–How

HOW is this done? I know it isn’t real, at least I hoped not. But still, I posted this on Snopes on FaceBook hoping for and educated answer–where was it filmed, what is that fish? I don’t know how to photoshop but I had hoped for some answers as to how that can be done.

Those damn rope swings….. Like Viral Fishing

I’m not sure if this comes across as video. If not maybe this:

will help you find what I was watching and the mean-spirited answers. Okay, some of the answers were quite funny and there were one or two that I thought held promise for real answers. But this is SNOPES a place where asking questions shouldn’t be treated with such a lack of respect for the person or question. It seems to me that as a country we have taken on such judgmental attitude towards others that no one can feel safe asking questions. Where did the saying, “There is no such thing as a stupid question” go?

Here is what I presented on the flow of comments after that picture on Snopes:

“Just to address the elephant in the room. What is the stupidity you are disapproving of? That I posted it? That the fish is swimming in a shallow lake? That the guy is out having fun swinging on a rope over a lake? First, I am not a computer or photoshop expert of any kinds. I have seen the Discovery Channel River Monsters type shows so there are large freshwater fish out there–maybe not this large. And unless you are the privileged folk who have never had to swim in a lake or camp in the dirt, but who have never had the thrill of swinging on a rope swing into the pond, lake, river–hopefully over deep enough water not to get hurt (and I would have tested that out before swinging as I knew someone permanently paralyzed from jumping into shallow water.) The only person on here that might have hope is the one that took the time to not call names and just explain what it could be. This is why we are not having a good time with the other side of the political aisle. We can’t just be judgemental because our experience makes us superior, regardless of the words we use. It is the lack of compassion and the patience to educate that keeps us separated.”

How can we begin to heal if we can’t feel safe enough to ask questions? Sure some have fallen for ‘fake news’ and we have all been a little gullible at one time or another, but if others can’t feel safe to ask their questions or speak the truth they know without others bouncing on them with superior attitudes, how will the right answers ever be believed? And if there are no safe spaces to present our questions, regardless of our political or religious leanings, we will just create more and more fear and what we fear most will be what rules the world.

So do we take a chance of climbing on the swing and jumping in, or do we fear that unknowable and remain fixed in fear?

What can we all do about this? How?

This Stream of Consciousness Saturday is brought to us by Linda G Hill.  Drop by and join the fun!

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