From the creator of the wildly popular blog Wait but Why,a fun and fascinating deep dive into what the hell is going on in our strange, unprecedented modern times.Between 2013 and 2016, Tim Urban became one of the worlds most popular bloggers, writing dozens of viral long-form articles about everything from AI to colonizing Mars to procrastination. Then, he turned his attention to a new topic: the society around him. Why was everything such a mess? Why was everyone acting like such a baby? When did things get so tribal? Why do humans do this stuff?This massive topic sent Tim tumbling down his deepest rabbit hole yet, through mountains of history, evolutionary psychology, political theory, neuroscience, and modern-day political movements, as he tried to figure out the answer to a simple question: Whats our problem?Six years later, he emerged from the hole with this book. Narrated by the author, Whats Our Problem? is a deep and expansive analysis of our modern times, in the classic style of Wait but Why, packed with original concepts and sticky metaphors. The book provides an entirely new framework and language for thinking and talking about todays complex world. Instead of focusing on the usual left-center-right horizontal political axis, which is all about what we think, the book introduces a vertical axis that explores how we think, as individuals and as groups. Listeners will find themselves on a delightful and fascinating journey that will ultimately change the way they see the world around them.Anyway, he wanted to say a lot more about all of this, but there was a word limit on this book description, so just go listen to the book.
What's Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies is a thought-provoking and insightful book by Tim Urban, the creator of the popular blog Wait But Why. In this book, Urban tackles some of the biggest problems facing our society today, such as political polarization, climate change, and economic inequality. He argues that these problems are not simply the result of individual failures, but rather are systemic issues that require collective action to solve.
Urban uses a variety of storytelling, humor, and data to make his case. He begins by examining the history of human cooperation and shows how it has been essential for our survival as a species. He then argues that we are currently facing a crisis of cooperation, as we are increasingly divided along political, economic, and cultural lines. This crisis of cooperation is making it difficult for us to address the biggest challenges facing our society.
Urban offers a number of solutions to the crisis of cooperation. He argues that we need to find ways to bridge our divides and build a more inclusive society. We also need to create institutions that are more responsive to the needs of the people they serve. And we need to find ways to encourage people to think more critically about the information they consume.
What's Our Problem? is a must-read for anyone who is concerned about the future of our society. It is a book that will challenge your assumptions and leave you thinking about the world in a new way.
