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The Hidden Story of Every Person : & Other Short Stories
A collection of short stories that bend the mind, pull the heartstrings, and explore the eternal questions of existence.
Originally published as videos seen by millions on Robert Pantano’s popular YouTube channel Pursuit of Wonder, The Hidden Story of Every Person contains thirty-one of Pantano’s short fiction stories, including The Nova Effect, The Last Thought You’ll Ever Have, and The Beginning & End of Humanity. The collection offers wide-ranging reimaginations of reality, both familiar and distant, comfortable and unsettling, each story probing into different science and philosophically driven themes, including the essence of self, the nature of reality, the role of chance in life, the implications of technology, humanity’s place in the cosmos, the experience of anxiety, regret, compassion, and much more.The stories contained have been re-edited and improved since their original publications in video form but broadly remain consistent.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 25, 2021
225 people are currently reading
762 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 21, 2021
Six fucking stars
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January 29, 2022There are these new services you sometimes see: "Why spend 8 hours reading a book? Pay us just x euros per month and read short summaries of books" This might be useful for some specific circumstances (like refreshing a book you read before? I don't know), but otherwise I consider it a misunderstanding of how reading either fiction or nonfiction works. And this book reminded me of it. Each story is so short that it is done long long before I get into it. One story takes me 3-15 minutes to read. It is very "convenient" when I just wanna spend a 10 minutes while waiting and admittedly it feels better then scrolling. I remember that I though that some stories were very good, but I can remember none but the very few last which I read 20 minutes ago.
I think books can have an impact on me only when I spend more time with it, separated by nights of sleep, trying the mood/ideas/outlook in my life, thinking about it outside of reading. It is like a difference between only listening to a math lecture and also actually doing exercises. Night and Day.
If I were to do the "excercises" about this book: Many stories were very similar to each other. Many of them described a lifetime of a person. Although life is composed of individual moments the it is good to be mindful of subjective difference between being in those moments, looking back to the past and looking towards the future.
I think books can have an impact on me only when I spend more time with it, separated by nights of sleep, trying the mood/ideas/outlook in my life, thinking about it outside of reading. It is like a difference between only listening to a math lecture and also actually doing exercises. Night and Day.
If I were to do the "excercises" about this book: Many stories were very similar to each other. Many of them described a lifetime of a person. Although life is composed of individual moments the it is good to be mindful of subjective difference between being in those moments, looking back to the past and looking towards the future.
November 28, 2021
Good stuff
July 26, 2021
My favourite YouTube philosophy channel put into a book.
January 3, 2023
Damn this book is good
December 17, 2023
Sonder - “the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.”
April 9, 2023
dnf at like 90%
I mean it makes you think. It’s like short philosophical essays. I dnf because I got bored. This has a very twilight zone feel, but more applicable maybe to our condition. Hard for me to get invested when it’s a different story every 6 pages or so and each on has this “omg, do you know why you are here?” Nihilistic nothing matters take. I feel bad for stopping at like 90% but it became a serious struggle.
I think there is a YouTube channel or something t
I mean it makes you think. It’s like short philosophical essays. I dnf because I got bored. This has a very twilight zone feel, but more applicable maybe to our condition. Hard for me to get invested when it’s a different story every 6 pages or so and each on has this “omg, do you know why you are here?” Nihilistic nothing matters take. I feel bad for stopping at like 90% but it became a serious struggle.
I think there is a YouTube channel or something t
May 25, 2024
6 stars!!!
May 24, 2024
Ok, I think I’m hit with every emotion I have ever felt and some new ones I didn't know existed.
These amazing stories are centered on life's biggest philosophical questions: human consciousness, existence, meaning, etc. Stories are artistically written and atmospheric but with a formulaic and unrealistic story line.
2024 best read!
These amazing stories are centered on life's biggest philosophical questions: human consciousness, existence, meaning, etc. Stories are artistically written and atmospheric but with a formulaic and unrealistic story line.
2024 best read!
August 7, 2021
Thought inducing, a fun trip towards the inner world of wondering and pondering, never quite reaching answers. Some stories are better via YouTube but the book allows for a different pace and effects.
Read
July 31, 2025Robert Pantano, widely known for his thought-provoking "Pursuit of Wonder" YouTube channel, brings his unique blend of philosophical inquiry and narrative prowess to the written page with "The Hidden Story of Every Person: & Other Short Stories." This collection, comprising thirty-one short fiction pieces, is a deep dive into the profound, the peculiar, and the often unsettling questions that define human existence.
What truly sets this collection apart is Pantano's ability to distill complex philosophical concepts into accessible, engaging, and often highly imaginative narratives. Many of these stories originated as popular video essays, and while they have been re-edited and improved for the book, they retain the captivating, almost meditative quality that fans of "Pursuit of Wonder" will recognize.
The stories traverse a vast landscape of themes, from the essence of self and the nature of reality to the role of chance in life and the implications of technology on humanity's future. You'll encounter tales that bend the mind, such as "The Nova Effect" or "The Last Thought You'll Ever Have," which challenge perceptions of time, consciousness, and the universe itself. Others, like "The Beginning & End of Humanity," offer sweeping, existential meditations on our collective journey.
Pantano's strength lies in his ability to make you feel the weight of these abstract ideas. He doesn't just present philosophical arguments; he crafts scenarios where characters grapple with them, forcing the reader to confront similar introspection. The stories are designed to be thought experiments, prompting you to consider "what if" scenarios that illuminate the fragile, yet wondrous, aspects of our existence.
While the philosophical underpinnings are strong, the narratives themselves are varied, ranging from the familiar and relatable to the distant and fantastical. This diversity keeps the collection fresh and ensures that readers are consistently surprised and challenged. Pantano often explores the comfortable and the unsettling in equal measure, leaving a lasting impression long after the final page of each story.
"The Hidden Story of Every Person" is not a light read in terms of its thematic depth, but it is written with a clarity and imaginative flair that makes it highly engaging. It's a book to savor, perhaps reading a few stories at a time, allowing their implications to resonate. For those who enjoy pondering the big questions, who appreciate science fiction with a philosophical core, or who are simply looking for stories that offer more than just entertainment, Robert Pantano's collection is a rewarding and enriching experience. It reminds us that beneath the surface of every person, and indeed every moment, there truly is a hidden story waiting to be explored.
What truly sets this collection apart is Pantano's ability to distill complex philosophical concepts into accessible, engaging, and often highly imaginative narratives. Many of these stories originated as popular video essays, and while they have been re-edited and improved for the book, they retain the captivating, almost meditative quality that fans of "Pursuit of Wonder" will recognize.
The stories traverse a vast landscape of themes, from the essence of self and the nature of reality to the role of chance in life and the implications of technology on humanity's future. You'll encounter tales that bend the mind, such as "The Nova Effect" or "The Last Thought You'll Ever Have," which challenge perceptions of time, consciousness, and the universe itself. Others, like "The Beginning & End of Humanity," offer sweeping, existential meditations on our collective journey.
Pantano's strength lies in his ability to make you feel the weight of these abstract ideas. He doesn't just present philosophical arguments; he crafts scenarios where characters grapple with them, forcing the reader to confront similar introspection. The stories are designed to be thought experiments, prompting you to consider "what if" scenarios that illuminate the fragile, yet wondrous, aspects of our existence.
While the philosophical underpinnings are strong, the narratives themselves are varied, ranging from the familiar and relatable to the distant and fantastical. This diversity keeps the collection fresh and ensures that readers are consistently surprised and challenged. Pantano often explores the comfortable and the unsettling in equal measure, leaving a lasting impression long after the final page of each story.
"The Hidden Story of Every Person" is not a light read in terms of its thematic depth, but it is written with a clarity and imaginative flair that makes it highly engaging. It's a book to savor, perhaps reading a few stories at a time, allowing their implications to resonate. For those who enjoy pondering the big questions, who appreciate science fiction with a philosophical core, or who are simply looking for stories that offer more than just entertainment, Robert Pantano's collection is a rewarding and enriching experience. It reminds us that beneath the surface of every person, and indeed every moment, there truly is a hidden story waiting to be explored.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2023
I happened upon Robert's channel by chance a few days ago. Among my recommendations sat his video titled "The Terrible Paradox of Self-Awareness | Fernando Pessoa" and to say my curiosity was piqued would be an understatement. Watched the video, got hooked onto looking up Pessoa's book and by the end of it, I've noticed Robert has his own books as well - so here I am, leaving a review after reading one I've chosen randomly.
The Hidden Story of Every Person is a well-narrated look into a handful of characters' lives and their innermost thoughts, impressions, experiences. The different slices of realities we are pulled into through these characters sometimes leave the reader feel hopeful, only to be plunged into the deepest kind of despair in the next one. It's a journey through and about sense of self and everything else seem to be both cause and effect of it (or despite it).
It was an interesting read about perception, the layers of reality and how people face and make sense about their own life and the human condition.
The Hidden Story of Every Person is a well-narrated look into a handful of characters' lives and their innermost thoughts, impressions, experiences. The different slices of realities we are pulled into through these characters sometimes leave the reader feel hopeful, only to be plunged into the deepest kind of despair in the next one. It's a journey through and about sense of self and everything else seem to be both cause and effect of it (or despite it).
It was an interesting read about perception, the layers of reality and how people face and make sense about their own life and the human condition.
July 18, 2023
"But does that matter? Haven’t you more revealed that the uncertainty and unknowns of these hows and whys and wheres and whats is in fact a sustainable and desirable quality that builds a potential infinity of love and desire and curiosity? And isn’t that you exist somewhere able to experience any of these things all that you can truly know, and all that ultimately needs to matter?”
If I could, I would give it 6-7 stars.
One of the best reads of my lifetime, and I would gladly recommend it to anyone.
If I could, I would give it 6-7 stars.
One of the best reads of my lifetime, and I would gladly recommend it to anyone.
February 15, 2025
The first short story was good, but it went rapidly downhill from there. If you have watched Black Mirror, none of the story thought experiments should be surprising to you. The author’s “and then and then and then” writing style put me to sleep. There was a lot of extra detail not really relevant to the core of the thought experiment. The book could have easily been condensed to a page or paragraph per short story.
Overall disappointed because I loved “The Art of Living a Meaningless Existence” by the same author.
Overall disappointed because I loved “The Art of Living a Meaningless Existence” by the same author.
August 9, 2024
I enjoyed some stories more than others, but overall appreciated what I got out of this. There were a few passages that really resonated with me, especially the following:
“I can’t help but laugh to myself at how bored we so easily become, how much we struggle to be dazzled by awe and silenced by humility. We must be the only thing cursed with the tendency to reduce the magnificent to tedium, to analyze beauty into ugliness, to reduce our incredible position to misery.”
“I can’t help but laugh to myself at how bored we so easily become, how much we struggle to be dazzled by awe and silenced by humility. We must be the only thing cursed with the tendency to reduce the magnificent to tedium, to analyze beauty into ugliness, to reduce our incredible position to misery.”
January 26, 2024
Interesting concept but the author taps only the surface of the experiences in each each story. It lacks depth portraying the emotions and thoughts that one faces when living through a life changing event or realization. To my disappointment, it is poorly written with no storytelling narrative. Small, child like sentences without beauty. One almost feels like it’s being rushed through the story.
April 25, 2024
"Consider how a puppeteer is only a puppeteer if it has and manipulates a puppet.
If there were no such thing as a puppet, there would be no such thing as a puppeteer, and vice versa. The puppet is not the puppeteer, and the puppeteer is not the puppet, but without the other, each ceases to exist in the contexts of their definitions"
If there were no such thing as a puppet, there would be no such thing as a puppeteer, and vice versa. The puppet is not the puppeteer, and the puppeteer is not the puppet, but without the other, each ceases to exist in the contexts of their definitions"
July 27, 2025
Zo goed!! Elk hoofdstuk presenteert een nieuw verhaal waarin thema’s als nihilisme, ethiek, determinisme, de dood, eenzaamheid aan bod komen. In slechts gemiddeld 10 pagina’s per verhaal zet Pantano je aan het denken; waarop baseren we onze keuzes, wat is de zin van het leven en wat geeft betekenis aan ons bestaan?
April 7, 2023
Awesome New Author in my Life
Robert Pantano is a new experience in my life. I know, that sounds funny, but that's how it is.
I am exploring what this bright young man has to say...... and I'll get back to you.
So far, so good!
Robert Pantano is a new experience in my life. I know, that sounds funny, but that's how it is.
I am exploring what this bright young man has to say...... and I'll get back to you.
So far, so good!
October 23, 2023
incredible reading!
I love Robert Pantano’s work. He truly engenders deep introspection and heightened awareness of the human condition, all in an entertaining manner. Highly recommend.
I love Robert Pantano’s work. He truly engenders deep introspection and heightened awareness of the human condition, all in an entertaining manner. Highly recommend.
January 18, 2023
Pantano if you’re reading this, thank you
January 21, 2023
Great lessons in liviing by storytelling
Enjoyed most of the stories and found valuable lessons between the thoughts and
Ideas that this great author was sharing.
Enjoyed most of the stories and found valuable lessons between the thoughts and
Ideas that this great author was sharing.
April 18, 2023
I love short stories and these ones are so good for like late night thoughts of the universe
July 30, 2023
Redundant stories that don't have much of a meaning. Seemed like a children's book, so boring.
October 24, 2023
After reading my anxiety is heavier and I have overwhelming existential dread
December 10, 2023
"I am going to die. And no one can save me. And I only have so much time left. And I am going to enjoy it."
the videos are a budget friendly way to experience this as well. (with visuals!!! 🦐🦐🦐)
the videos are a budget friendly way to experience this as well. (with visuals!!! 🦐🦐🦐)
January 31, 2024
Nice short stories about technology and the human experience.They arent all gold but the ones that are hit really beautifully and deep. Highly recommend.
June 25, 2024
* What we want is not always good for us.
* Wisdom is when you can agree with two conflicting ideas.
* Knowledge comes with the arrogance of knowing.
* Wisdom is when you can agree with two conflicting ideas.
* Knowledge comes with the arrogance of knowing.
December 29, 2024
Loved it. Short stories that are not too convoluted and makes you think…
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews