The Art of Seeing the World as It Is

You won't believe this: The world has changed in many good ways.

Some books bring you to a new level of knowledge. They take you from not knowing you don’t know about this to knowing about it in a fun way. This is such a book. Factfulness is a book of facts. Facts about the world. Facts you’ve never thought about. Facts that you will doubt, and may have to check again. Facts that will reshape how you see the world. Facts that may make you live optimistically.

Here are 10 Facts from the book;

1. The number of people living in extreme poverty has been cut by more than half since 1990. In 1990, 1.9 billion people lived on less than $1.90 a day. By 2015, that number had fallen to 736 million. This means that over the past 25 years, more than 1.2 billion people have lifted themselves out of extreme poverty.

2. The average life expectancy globally has increased by more than 20 years since 1950. In 1950, the average life expectancy was just 47 years. By 2015, it had risen to 70 years. This means that people are living an average of 23 years longer than they were just 65 years ago.

3. The child mortality rate has fallen by more than 80% since 1950. In 1950, one in four children died before their fifth birthday. By 2015, that number had fallen to one in 12. This means that millions of children's lives are being saved every year.

4. More girls are now enrolled in primary school than boys. In 2015, 95% of girls were enrolled in primary school, compared to 93% of boys. This is a major achievement, given that just a few decades ago, girls were far less likely to be enrolled in school than boys.

5. The world is getting richer, not poorer. The average global income has more than doubled since 1970. This means that people around the world are getting wealthier on average.

6. More people now have access to clean water and sanitation than ever before. In 2015, 90% of the world's population had access to improved drinking water sources, and 68% had access to improved sanitation facilities. This is a significant improvement from just a few decades ago.

7. More people now have access to the internet than ever before. In 2018, more than half of the world's population had access to the internet. This number is growing rapidly, and it is having a major impact on the way people live, work, and learn.

8. Measles deaths have dropped by over 99% since 2000. This incredible achievement is largely due to global vaccination campaigns.

9. Malaria deaths have declined by over 50% since 2000. Improved mosquito nets, medication, and prevention efforts have contributed to this success.

10. Forest cover is actually increasing in some parts of the world. Contrary to popular belief, some regions like China and India have experienced significant forest cover increase through afforestation programs.

If you’ve read all these statistics, I know your first reaction. It is a shock! I didn’t believe them too. I had to fact-check them, and they were correct. We’ve been bamboozled for years, and we automatically think that everything is getting worse. This book will make you rethink those statements.

I felt more hopeful after reading it. You will, too.

Enjoy.