iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

"So, what you're saying is, I'm indestructible?" #StarWarsGalacticRacer

A picture of some vehicle malfunctions from Star Wars Galactic Racer. Both say that steering pulls in one direction. Since there are two, the joke is that they cancel out

KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Reminder! Book club/reading stream this Saturday! Special guests: @littleshebear.bsky.social and @scarletrebel.bsky.social ! Sat Oct 10, 4:15pm Eastern (9:15pm UK time) www.twitch.tv/kaz_phd Tell your friends!

Image that says, "Reading/book club stream! Today's topic: Diving deeper...", with Moraine Lake in the background

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Really enjoyed The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee! Imagine if post-WWII "Japan" was under the control of two clans, empowered by a mineral that gave them superhuman powers. Imagine a story following a family bound by honour, shaken by death, forged in ruthlessness. Check it out if you can! #booksky

Picture of the books, "Jade City", "Jade War", and "Jade Legacy" by Fonda Lee

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Read All Systems Red by Martha Wells recently and enjoyed it! Fun, sarcastic, straightforward sci-fi with a stinging commentary on corporations (a favourite staple of the genre), and an intriguing central concept, I'm curious where Murderbot will go! Check it out for a fun modern read! #booksky

Cover of All Systems Red book by Martha Wells. Featuring a humanoid looking robot in the foreground, strange mechanical creatures in the background.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Finished reading Christie's "Cat among the pigeons". It was alright. Hardly felt like a Poirot tale. Too brief, too easy. It's not bad, but it reads like Christie was ready to move on to other characters. Enjoyable, breezy reading, but lower on my list of favoured Christie stories. #booksky

Book cover for Agatha Christie's "Cat among the pigeons" featuring a set of lacrosse rackets, crossed with a skull between them

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

At some point, every dad receives something that looks like this for Father's Day

A picture of a drain in a parking lot. It looks like a face, two holes for eyes, a button in the centre for the nose, and the dirt on the lower half looks like a beard

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

The book that inspired Bones! I am of mixed feelings. Fun forensics, high stakes, takes place in Montreal! However, I liked the TV character better, and found book Brennan to be overly risky. In the end, I did enjoy it and would read another, but may explore around the genre a bit more. #booksky

Book cover for Kathy Reichs' book, Déjà Dead, featuring a blue background with a padlock on the side, the book title written as if with marker on a wall.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I recommend Ian Fleming's Moonraker! Simple, straightforward, serious, and full of great capable female characters! Moonraker was the 3rd Bond book, a 1955 Cold War period piece. The film was the 11th, released in the 70s, cashing in on Star Wars mania. As I said, I recommend the book. #booksky

Cover for Ian Fleming's "Moonraker" book, featuring a rocket lifting off far in the distance amid a blue, hazy sky.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Finished reading "The Ascension Cycle" trilogy by David Mealing and recommend it! It has "Mistborn" vibes, featuring settlers of a new continent fighting with each other and the local native population, using powers from nature and the gods. Great world building and fun characters! #booksky

Book cover for David Mealing's "Chains of the Earth" featuring a cloaked character with an inferno in the background

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Another book read! I heard about the find years ago but didn't know much about it. The book jumps between the dig & his life; interesting to hear how contentious the details are. If you're interested in a quick trip through history and modern archaeology, give it a read! #booksky

Book cover of "The Search for Richard III: The King's Grave" by Philippa Langley and Michael Jones

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Another French book read! Film novelizations are a great way to engage with French! Men in Black was a childhood favourite film and it was great to revisit it! The story remains as fun, funny, and well-paced as it was 30 years ago! Proud to continue switching between English and French! #booksky

Book cover for Men in Black, a film directed by Ed Solomon, novelized and translated to French by Steve Perry. The cover features the silhouette of two men with white light behind them, standing in the door of the letter I in MIB.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Look at what I found at my local library! Can't believe I'd find such a new, anticipated game! Bad news: some games take a long time to copy on PS5. Good news: We're live and chatting while we wait! 👇 www.twitch.tv/kaz_phd

The Playstation 5 plastic box for the game, "Ghost of Yotei" featuring (presumably) a samurai seated on a field, surrounded by leaves and weapons.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Just read "Bird Box" by Josh Malerman, and recommend it! All I knew going in was: horror, film, boat, blindfold. I normally don't like watching horror, but I wanted to give reading it a try. Bird Box balances dread and hope, mystery with survivorship, love with loss. Check it out! #booksky

Book cover for "Bird Box" by Josh Malerman, featuring a blindfolded woman in a dark, static-filled background.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Started reading Gallant by V.E. Schwab and enjoying it so far! A voiceless girl, abandoned at an orphanage, receives a letter to go live with her uncle...who died a year ago. Spooky vibes, very Addams Family coded. I'm enjoying it so far! #booksky

Book cover for "Gallant" by V.E. Schwab, featuring a mansion in black and white in front of a gate on the top, mirrored by a similar mansion on the bottom in red. The scene is surrounded by vines and roses.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Tonight, our first book club stream! With special guests, @scarletrebel.bsky.social and @penshalo.bsky.social ! Tune in, starting 4:15pm Eastern / 9:15pm UK www.twitch.tv/kaz_phd It's our first time, so it'll be focused on introductions, talking about reading as a hobby, tips and tricks, etc.!

A picture of Moraine lake with text overlaid. The title text at the top says, "Reading/book club stream!", the bottom text says, "Today's topic: Getting started..."

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

About to read Murder on the Orient Express for the first time, in French! Hope it goes well; it's a short novel, so should be okay! #booksky

Book cover for Le crime de l'Orient Express by Agatha Christie, featuring people climbing aboard a turn-of-the-century train.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Just finished Denise Hamilton's The Jasmine Trade, a crime novel set in semi-modern LA, and it was a good read! I'm slowly checking out other genres, and this one, Hamilton's first, was rich, vibrant, maybe a little "too real" at times, but well-paced and delivered. #booksky

Picture of someone (me) holding a book. Denise Hamilton's "The Jasmine Trade" featuring the LA skyline, obscured by pink clouds

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Finished "Blood of the Gods" by David Mealing, part 2 of The Ascension Cycle series, and enjoyed it! Imagine fictional France, England, and native American tribes battling for control of the New World, using powers controlled by Gods, who themselves were ascended champions. Well-paced and fun!

Book cover for David Mealing's "Blood of the Gods" featuring a lone figure on a small hill with a single tree in a green field. There is a single large lightning strike.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Finished reading "Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade" by Oliver Bowden and enjoyed it! Telling the tale of Altaïr's life, it was great to relive the game and story! Honestly, made me want to play the games all over again! Great way to dive in without slowing for an 80-hr playthrough 🤣 #booksky

Book cover of "Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade" by Oliver Bowden, featuring a cowl-wearing warrior with a blade up his sleeve, standing in front of a shaded battleground

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Finished Les Vengeurs (The Avengers) by William Shatner & enjoyed it! A neat "what if" that weaves itself around the Star Trek canon. Some characterizations felt a bit off at times, but fun overall. Found the ecological critique to be interesting. Proud for reading it in French! #booksky

Book cover for "Super Star Trek: Les Vengeurs" by William Shatner, featuring Captains Picard and Kirk

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Finished Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown last night and had a fantastic time! A beautiful game, with a full story, secrets, a wonderful Metroidvania with excellent fundamentals that expand into cool abilities, lots to explore! Really appreciate the incorporation of myths. Definitely recommend!

Cover of the video game "Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown" featuring a two-blade-wielding warrior leaping through the air with blue energy trailing behind him

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Finished N.K. Jemisin's triple Hugo award-winning Broken Earth trilogy & loved it! Mixing apocalyptic with personal, it is a masterclass of deep, emotional storytelling. A woman of colour writing about a woman of colour, motherhood, & the best use of 2nd-person perspective I've ever seen! #booksky

Picture of the trilogy box set of N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, featuring the books, The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, and The Sky Stone.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Just finished "Dr. Gully's Story" by Elizabeth Jenkins, and...it was fine. Claimed to be exciting, enthralling, "all the way through" it just didn't grab me. Historically-accurate, as far as can be told, but 1) the story takes a LONG time to develop, 2) I just can't get behind the characters.

Book cover for "Dr. Gully's Story" by Elizabeth Jenkins, featuring a young woman seated with an older man behind her. The setting is a Victorian salon, featuring a fireplace, paintings, curtains, a nice suit and flowing dress.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

Taking a break to catch up on some French reading! #booksky

Book cover for Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes, but in French! "Calvin et Hobbes: Adieu, monde cruel!" featuring the plushie tiger leaping onto the scared youth.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

Just finished N.K. Jemisin's "The Fifth Season" and enjoyed it! I admit that it took time to get into. The writing is a skilled mix of straightforward yet complex. Featuring 3 storylines, 2nd-person perspective, & a well-established world. Fantasy with heavy themes. #booksky

Book cover for N.K. Jemisin's "The Fifth Season", featuring a wall, green in colour with a kind of old, decorated architecture.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Just finished reading the first 4 books of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin, and enjoyed it! Even if I had read these as a child, they're worth a reread as an adult. They deal with some universal, adult themes through the lens of fantasy and adventure, giving them quite a timeless quality. #booksky

Book cover for Ursula K. Le Guin's "Earthsea: The first four books" featuring the silhouette of a figure standing on a cliff overlooking the sea. The figure is holding a quarter staff, wearing a billowing cloak, and the image colours are black and orange.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

Finished reading "The Tombs of Atuan" by Le Guin, and found it to be quite bold writing! Focused on one female protagonist in one specific place. The setting and themes are haunting, ritualistic, oppressive. Less magical but more impactful. Like the Tombs, a lot under the surface. #booksky

Book cover for "The Tombs of Atuan" by Ursula K. Le Guin, featuring a cloaked girl in a cave under a pile of pillared stones.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

Finished reading "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin! Not sure how I missed it, but I'm glad to have caught up with it. It's a large world but focused purely on one character's journey. Earthsea is at once magical but ordinary, classic English writing. #booksky Two more things👇

Book cover for "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin, featuring a lone, cloaked silhouette, standing in a field overlooking the sea.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

It's my birthday! Check out this amazing cake my wife made me! www.instagram.com/p/DWwgTAJiPP...

A picture of a man (me!) sitting in front of a cake, his hands spread wide. It is a 3-layered cake, made to resemble books. The top layer is red, featuring the number 39 in typical and Roman numerals, the middle layer is tan saying Rothfuss III (a joke about an unfinished fantasy series), the bottom layer is green, saying "yet another Sanderson, (a joke about that author writing so many books). The man is smiling, it's his birthday! And beside him, sleeping under a blanket, unseen, is a Sphinx cat!

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Just finished reading Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson, and really enjoyed it! His first published novel, amazing to see the world building already in motion! The cultures, the politics, the magic system, and the themes of responsibility, hope, and charity made for a fascinating read! #booksky

Book cover of "Elantris" by Brandon Sanderson, featuring grey city walls, an orange, wispy magical energy moving through them, on a white background.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Just finished reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and enjoyed it! Easy to read, combining hard science with fair speculation, told in a way to make it plausible, enjoyable, and legible. Quite an exciting adventure and I'm excited to see the movie! #booksky

Book cover for "Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir, featuring an astronaut in space, tethered to something unknown with a black and yellow background.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

I finished the Shades of Magic trilogy by Victoria Schwab and really enjoyed it! Adventure, magic, parallel worlds, pirates, and more! There was plenty of room for more, but the story moves forward briskly. The author made an interesting choice for the 3rd book, but I respect it! #booksky

Book cover for V.E. Schwab's "A Darker Shade of Magic", featuring a silhouette of a man wearing a black and red cape, standing on a map of 4 London's, in different colours (red, white, grey, and black).

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Just finished V.E. Schwab's A Gathering of Shadows and had a great time! Book 2 of the trilogy, scaling back the adventure from the first, deepening the exploration of the main characters and providing some world building via the different Red London kingdoms. Excited for the third! #booksky

Book cover for V.E. Schwab's A Gathering of Shadows, featuring a silhouetted figure standing on overlapping circles of red, white, grey, and black. The figure is wearing a cloak and holding a knife in each of their outstretched hands.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Just finished reading V.E. Schwab's "A Darker Shade of Magic", and really liked it! A very cool concept, well-paced, exciting and fun magic story! A story with 4 parallel Londons, some can travel between, but magic is as dangerous as it is exciting! Diving into the sequel next! #booksky

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Just finished reading Chakraborty's The Kingdom of Copper, book 2 of a trilogy, and I liked it! I'm tempted to say this was better than the 1st as we got a deeper and more diverse set of storylines that all converged excitingly in the final third of the book! Excited for the finale! #booksky

Book cover for S.A. Chakraborty's The Kingdom of Copper, featuring a green door surrounded by metal copper leaves.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Just finished "The City of Brass", book 1 of a trilogy, and liked it! Fun to read fantasy not inspired by typical Tolkien! Enter a world of djinn, magic, curses, and royalty balancing power and responsibility. Excited for more! Special thanks to my wife for surprising me with the book! #booksky

Book cover for S.A. Chakraborty's "The City of Brass", featuring an ornate door surrounded by the metal.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

The French version was called The Bonies!

Picture of 3 cartoon skeletons drinking milk, with the caption "Les produits laitiers nos amis pour la vie"

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

Just finished Tress of the Emerald Sea, by Brandon Sanderson, & I highly recommend it! A grown-up fairy tale, inspired by The Princess Bride, part of Sanderson's larger work but also completely standalone! Witty, charming, sweet, adventurous, & beautiful! I really enjoyed my time there. #booksky

Picture of the book cover for "Tress of the Emerald Sea" by Brandon Sanderson. The artwork features a silhouetted young woman standing on an island, holding a cup in her hand, with a bright moon in the background.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Starting this tonight! Been looking forward to it! #booksky

A picture of the cover of Brandon Sanderson's book, Tress of the Emerald Sea, featuring a silhouette of a woman standing with a bright moon/sun behind her.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

Started reading Eden Fluide by Alexis Flamand a few days ago and am enjoying it! My sister-in-law asked a bookkeeper for something for an intermediate French learner to read in the realm of fantasy, and so far, so good! It's slow going. I read, translate, and read again, but I'm liking it so far!

Someone holding a book in their lap. The book is entitled, "Eden Fluide" by Alexis Flamand, featuring a pirate/space ship in a whirling sea.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Just finished reading Destination: Void by Frank Herbert, & sadly, would not recommend. Interesting premise, too caught up in techno-jargon to be enjoyable. A story about building artificial intelligence, but spends too much time with faux biology, psychology, & philosophy. Can't all be winners.

Picture of the cover of the book "Destination: Void" by Frank Herbert. Cover art features a kind of zombie with two angry technological faces behind it.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

From my house to yours, we hope that you're happy, safe, warm, and well-fed! Happy holidays! www.instagram.com/p/DSpZC0YguR...

A photo of a grey, hairless Sphinx cat, lying on a red plaid blanket, wearing a red Santa hat, with the text: Happy holidays!

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

I find it funny that the word pernicious became less pernicious over time.

Etymology of pernicious, from Latin nec meaning death, to Latin pernicies meaning ruin, to Latin perniciosus meaning destructive to late Middle English pernicious meaning harmful in a gradual way

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

Finished reading The Belgariad by David Eddings the other day and enjoyed it! Classic fantasy, published in 1982-1984, involving sorcerers, a farm boy/chosen one, and adventure. I think it's a lovely and straightforward story, but other readers may have trouble seeing it all the way through. 🧵👇

Picture of The Belgariad series (5 books) by David Eddings

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

I'll be reading A Christmas Carol! Live on stream, Monday, Dec 22 4pm Eastern / 9pm UK time Be sure to stop by here! www.twitch.tv/kaz_phd

Alternate version of the Muppet Christmas Carol cover but with a man replacing Gonzo in the image. Image consists of muppets Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and Robin the Frog wearing Dickensian fashion in front of a blue, snowy background, featuring a man with Christmas shirt, long hair, big smile, and black Christmas hat behind them.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Finished reading Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings and really enjoyed it! Numerous factions & cultures make for a fun read, full of colour even among fantasy tropes. The story handles dramatic irony very well; never do I feel too much is held back from the child protagonist. A real adventure!

Book cover for Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings, featuring a sword with a blue gem at the pommel against a purple background

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Has anyone heard of The Belgariad? 5-book fantasy series published in the early '80s, that seems well-liked by some reviews I've seen, but I hadn't heard of it. Just started the first book and I'm liking it so far!

Book cover of Pawn of Prophecy, by David Eddings, featuring a sword in front of a purple background.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

Democrats finding more evidence of Trump's immorality

A collection of Infinity Stones (gems) sitting in a box, seemingly ignored or forgotten.

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KAZ PhD @kazphd.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

On this day, I am continuing my read through of Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman. It is an examination of the question, "Are humans actually, basically, decent?" while looking at numerous counterexamples. I'm enjoying it so far, and it is good to find examples of hope and kindness.

Book cover for Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman, featuring multicoloured spotlights all originating from a centre point.

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