What Makes Us Human?: 130 answers to the big question

by Jeremy Vine, Phil Jones

A dazzling insight into what gives meaning to our life and to us as a species.

What makes us human? From Carlo Rovelli on the particles of dust that make us, to Caitlin Moran on the joy of Friday nights, and A C Grayling on how we express ourselves through this illuminating book shares over 130 mind-expanding answers to that question.

We all want to understand our place in the universe and find a sense of purpose in the life. This book will help the reader navigate that journey with the help of leading names from the worlds of literature, history, philosophy, politics, sport, comedy and popular culture.

Originally broadcast as a popular feature on the Jeremy Vine Show, What Makes Us Human? includes short essays Andrew Marr, Carlo Rovelli, Justin Welby, Marian Keyes, Alain de Botton, Robert Webb, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Fry, and many more.

416 pages, Hardcover

Published June 14, 2022

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expect for Alain de Botton, Julia Gillard and Billy Bragg, I didn't know any from the authors (I'm neither from the UK or the states).
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed these essays. There were really short, between 2-4 pages each and I discovered some great quotes within this collection:

What humans do, from very early on, is take reality and play with it. [...] Fantasy lets us manage the unknown, the fearful. (Gillian Reynolds)

Live while you're living, and die when you're gone. (Cerys Matthews)

Though our past makes us, it does not define who we're going to be. (Professor Green)

or

Forgiveness is not the same as excusing, ignoring or condoning bad behaviour. It's acknowledging that something was wrong, and then choosing to let go. (Paris Lees)

[Graham Vingoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much a book that you can skip through and read the entries by the people you feel would be most interesting rather than one you would read all the way through. Personally, The fact that it is organised into specific topics works against it, as there is quite a bit of repetition within certain topics Overaso I would have preferred it arranged as the episodes had been broadcast on Jeremy Vines' Radio 2 show. It's all very interesting and I woull urge everyone to at least read 3 entries if you can- Steven Fry's on language, Chris Packham's amazingly pessimistic viewpoint of what we're doing to the planet, and especially Robert Peston's article on love and especially his relationship with his late wife, which completely changed my opinion of him.