Reading Group Guide for The Human Relief Project

Organizing or part of a book club and in need of some discussion questions? Look no further than the list below, just watch out for the spoilers!

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Questions (Spoiler Alert!)

  1. Bert puts off confronting his own relief despite finding a sense of fulfillment in carrying out the HRP's mission. How can he find so much meaning in facilitating the relief of others but so little in his own?

  2. Liz and Bert's breakup marks a personal turning point as relief is rapidly approaching the 100% goal. What role did the HRP play in the course of their relationship? What would romantic relationships look like in a post-relief world? 

  3. “People were fundamentally good, they were just socialized into being bad. And, as far as Bert was concerned, the HRP would help to change that.” How far did the HRP come in eradicating bad human behavior?

  4. What role does Alex allow her emotions and feelings to play in running the HRP? In what way does her relationships influence her leadership?

  5. “A gift of newfound clarity about the path ahead for the HRP, and her role in it. ‘Eternal guardians’—she liked the ring of it." Do you feel Alex would have been the right leader to bring about the vision of bliss and abundance? 

  6. Are Bert and Alex naive or visionary? Where do you draw the line between the two?

  7. After the attacks and their family's personal tragedy, Bert and Alex agree that there was no other way things could have turned out. What do you think led them to that conclusion?

  8. What makes it hard for Alex to adjust her beliefs about the 100% goal when confronted with the artist in Amsterdam and her mother's suicide? 

  9. What implications does the final decision to pause relief at 99% have? 

  10. Why do some characters find it easier to cope with relief than others? What do you make of Bert's research on successful post-relief transitions combining mastery and kindling the desire of other humans?

  11. How did the media extracts influence your view of the debate around the HRP? 

  12. What, if anything, is a human capable of that AI could never replicate?

  13. Are there some things that we project onto AI that we would never project onto a human?

  14. Reading Bert's conversation with his niece Alice, what role do you think work plays in a meaningful life in the end?

  15. Who is really in control of humanity’s future; AI or humans? How is power lost or won throughout the book?

  16. What questions does Fernanda’s final address in the epilogue leave you with about the future of humanity?