Philanthropist Bill Gates just came out with his 2018 summer reading list. The book that caught my eye was “Factfulness,” by Hans Rosling, who died last year. You may know the Swedish physician and statistician for his entertaining TED talks that illustrate improvements in global health care and poverty. We live in an era of tremendous progress yet, Dr. Rosling observes, even the most educated people often don’t see it.

Mr. Gates describes the book’s insights as a “revelation” in how to see the “developing” world. What I find intriguing is Rosling’s thesis that there are 10 basic “instincts” that warp perspective, causing people to misinterpret or hyperbolize events. One example is the fear impulse: Journalists and politicians know that humans tend to pay extra attention to scary things. For each of these mist-inducing tendencies, Rosling offers ways to counter them. For example, if something goes wrong, there’s an inclination to scapegoat or blame. Don’t look for villains or heroes, he advises. Look for systemic causes.

Gates writes: “Another remarkable thing about Factfulness – and about Hans himself – is that he refuses to judge anyone for their misconceptions…. Hans even resists going after the media.” No wonder I find his ideas appealing!

While Rosling was a scientist, he writes that most of what he learned came “not from studying data … but spending time with other people.”

Now our five selected stories, including paths to progress on US school shootings, the role of robotics in marine biology, and crocheting plastic bags into bedding.