As a cognitive scientist, the ultimate subject of Steven Pinker’s fascination is how we think about each other’s thoughts, ad infinitum. It sounds impossible, but Steven Pinker shows that we do it all the time. This awareness, which we experience as something that is public or “out there,” is called common knowledge, and it has a momentous impact on our social, political, and economic lives.
Common knowledge, Pinker shows, can make sense of many of life’s enigmas: financial bubbles and crashes, revolutions that come out of nowhere, the posturing and pretence of diplomacy, the eruption of social media shaming mobs and academic cancel culture, the awkwardness of a first date. But people also go to great lengths to avoid common knowledge—to ensure that even if everyone knows something, they can’t know that everyone else knows they know it. And so we get rituals like benign hypocrisy, veiled bribes and threats, sexual innuendo, and pretending not to see the elephant in the room.
In exploring the paradoxes of human behaviour, When Everyone Knows that Everyone Knows… invites us to understand the ways we try to get into each other’s heads, and the harmonies, hypocrisies, and outrages that result.
CONTRIBUTORS: Steven PinkerEAN: 9780241618837COUNTRY: United KingdomPAGES: 384WEIGHT: 400 gHEIGHT:
PUBLISHED BY: Penguin Books LtdDATE PUBLISHED: 2025-09-23CITY: GENRE: Non-fictionWIDTH: SPINE:
Book Themes:
If Pinker's ideas become common knowledge, we'll be far better equipped to handle the massive disruptions already arriving in our hyper-networked world
An expository masterpiece. Steven Pinker explains, with beautiful clarity, how common knowledge is critical to successful human interaction
When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows...is one of the most insightful books I've read about what makes us human and how we understand each other. It changed how I think about the interactions I have, and I bet it will do the same for you ― Bill Gates
Think you know what others think about what you are thinking? It turns out you're probably wrong. And thanks to When Everyone Knows, now we know why. Once you read this book, you'll never view human behavior quite the same way again
A masterful look behind the curtain at the calculations that propel us forward. With his brilliant knack for exposing what we take for granted, celebrated cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker explores, among many phenomena, our very human tendency to reveal information strategically, only letting others see what we want them to see
A lively exposition of one of the most important and basic concepts in game theory, and the surprising ways it plays out in human affairs
Insight packed. With brisk authority, Pinker shows that a key aspect of being human, sociality, depends on a mutual understanding of intentions, which allows us to make sense of responses like laughing and blushing and phenomena as various as myth-making and online cancel culture
Steven Pinker is the Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. He has won many prizes for his teaching, his research on language, cognition, and social relations, and his twelve books, including The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Enlightenment Now, and Rationality. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, and one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People in the World Today.”
Format: Paperback
As a cognitive scientist, the ultimate subject of Steven Pinker’s fascination is how we think about each other’s thoughts, ad infinitum. It sounds impossible, but Steven Pinker shows that we do it all the time. This awareness, which we experience as something that is public or “out there,” is called common knowledge, and it has a momentous impact on our social, political, and economic lives.
Common knowledge, Pinker shows, can make sense of many of life’s enigmas: financial bubbles and crashes, revolutions that come out of nowhere, the posturing and pretence of diplomacy, the eruption of social media shaming mobs and academic cancel culture, the awkwardness of a first date. But people also go to great lengths to avoid common knowledge—to ensure that even if everyone knows something, they can’t know that everyone else knows they know it. And so we get rituals like benign hypocrisy, veiled bribes and threats, sexual innuendo, and pretending not to see the elephant in the room.
In exploring the paradoxes of human behaviour, When Everyone Knows that Everyone Knows… invites us to understand the ways we try to get into each other’s heads, and the harmonies, hypocrisies, and outrages that result.
CONTRIBUTORS: Steven PinkerEAN: 9780241618837COUNTRY: United KingdomPAGES: 384WEIGHT: 400 gHEIGHT:
PUBLISHED BY: Penguin Books LtdDATE PUBLISHED: 2025-09-23CITY: GENRE: Non-fictionWIDTH: SPINE:
Steven Pinker is the Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. He has won many prizes for his teaching, his research on language, cognition, and social relations, and his twelve books, including The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Enlightenment Now, and Rationality. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, and one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People in the World Today.”
Just finished Running Africa by Keith Boyd in 2 days and got deeply inspired by this story of resilience. It tells you that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Keith tells the story in such a personal, relatable way.
Also wonderful cause (Rainbow Leaders) which Keith ran for. No doubt that his talks to youth along the way must have inspired dozens of young learners that dreams can come true through perseverance.
Die man van elders, ’n titel wat onmiddellik my verbeelding geprikkel het. Gelukkig het die skrywer, die geliefde Helene de Kock, reeds so vroeg as op bladsy 27 vir die lesers ’n leidraad gegee oor haar gedagtegang wat betref Jean Botha: “Elders is iewers en tegelyk nêrens. En is dit nie waar hy nou is nie?” Dan neem die storielyn sy loop, en baie later kan Jean op sy eie stukkie grond staan en verklaar: “Ja, ek is die man van Elders. Soos Ou Paul sê, daar waar dit mooiweer en warm is.” (p.264)”
Die verhaal is veel meer as net een man se soeke na ’n plek waar hy behoort. Dit is ook die verhaal van Renette Brink wat met een oogopslag Jean se hart gesteel het, maar die prooi word van huishoudelike geweld en ’n narsis. “Haar man is verslaaf aan homself.” (p.211) Dit moes Renette op die harde manier agterkom. Nie ’n tema wat jou in die gehoor streel nie, maar sonder omhaal weergegee.
Daar is gelukkig ook baie heilsame aspekte in die storielyn ingebou soos ware vriendskap en aanvaarding sonder vooroordeel, tweede kanse, opoffering en dankbaarheid. Die geestelike pad wat die hoofkarakters loop, word ook subtiel bygewerk in die styl waarvoor hierdie skrywer bekend is.
Die man van elders is die derde in ’n reeks en volg op Diana se dag en Drome het ook asem. Moet glad nie bekommerd wees as jy die eerste twee nie gelees het nie, hierdie verhaal kan op eie bene staan. Dit sal egter ’n bonus wees as jy hulle sommer al drie in volgorde kan lees.
Human & Rousseau is die uitgewers. Dit is ’n druknaam van Jonathan Ball Uitgewers
"Big Dreams, Big Travel" is an consistently exciting adventure that immediately draws you into a mysterious dream world. Wim Balmer writes clearly, directly, and without unnecessary length – you practically fly through the pages. Jay's journey between dream and reality is intense, surprising, and makes you eager to keep reading.
A great fantasy book for young readers who want to dive straight into the adventure. Entertaining, dreamy, and absolutely recommended.
