A lovely find from a brief passing through Brussels; the book had recently been out. Sarah Bakewell has been working in the field of humanist literature for a while: she also wrote How to Live: A Life of Montaigne. But instead of a deep dive in one single person, Humanly Possible delves into the broader tradition, spanning from Ancient Greece to the contemporary times, interweaving a history of something whose precise definition took second place to its manifestation.

It does a very good job at making the reader believe possible to partake in this rich tradition of thought: let one just nurture kindness and curiosity, and that's more than halfway there!

There's also the suggestion of different stances in the world. Some of the covered humanists seemed to have lived at odds with their society and immediate environment; others actively rebelled and have put public efforts for the world to be a better place for all. Thus, active participation is apparently not mandatory.

The result is a tremendously readable effort, in a style of wonder and curiosity which mirrors what one would argue humanism to be itself about.