The bestselling, prizewinning author of How to Live and At the Existentialist Café explores the great tradition of humanist writers, thinkers, scientists and artists, all trying to understand what it means to be truly human. *** THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER *** A BARACK OBAMA BOOK OF THE YEAR *** 'I can't imagine a better history' PHILIP PULLMAN * 'Fascinating, moving, funny' OLIVER BURKEMAN If you are reading this, you may already be a humanist. Even if you don't know it. Do you love literature and the arts? Do you have a strong moral compass despite not being formally religious? Do you simply believe that individual lives are more important than grand political visions? If any of these apply, you are part of a long tradition of humanist thought. In Humanly Possible Sarah Bakewell asks what humanism is and why it has flourished for so long. By introducing us to the adventurous lives and ideas of famous humanists through 700 years of history, she shows how the humanist values that helped steer us through dark times in the past are just as urgently needed in our world today. 'An epic, spine-tingling and persuasive work of history' Daily Telegraph 'As she romps through the centuries, readers will feel assured that they are in the company of a gifted guide' The Economist