WHAT MAKES US HUMAN?

★★★★ By PHIL JONES Headline

What makes us human? A diverse array of well-known people including children’s writer Julia Donaldson, classics guru Mary Beard, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, broadcaster Stephen Fry, author Marian Keyes and chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov try to offer convincing answers to this question in this thought-provoking book.

For some it’s our past or our ability to imagine a future while for others it’s our range of emotion, sense of humour, spirituality or ability to form connections with others.

Some of the pieces are positive but others paint a very grim picture of the human condition and what motivates and defines us.

It’s a wonderful book to keep on your desk and dip into – each essay is only a couple of pages you can finish it in about 10 minutes.

The people selected in the book, which is based on a popular BBC radio series, are mainly British public figures but even if you don’t know their names, what they have to say will leave you with plenty to think about.