Had not heard of Hans Rosling so thanks for that it seems I'd like his books.

I've always strived (but not always achieved) to reach my opinions on the world based on evidence and figures and facts that I've looked at myself deferring to experts in the various fields where I'm not educated enough to understand (medicine - I trust my doctors).

If you look at the world through that lens for the average person this is a golden age despite all the problems we still have.