In his essay titled The Hedgehog and The Fox, British philosopher Isaiah Berlin posited that there are two types of thinkers: hedgehogs, who view the world through the lens of a single defining idea; and foxes, who draw on a wide variety of experiences to come up with different ideas for different circumstances.
Isaiah Berlin based the distinction on a saying by the ancient Greek philosopher Archilochus: “The fox knows many things but the hedgehog knows one big thing”. By Berlin’s definition, Plato and Dostoevsky were hedgehogs who applied a single grand idea to everything, while Goethe and Shakespeare were foxes who applied different ideas in different situations.
However, having to choose between being either a hedgehog thinker or a fox thinker is a false dilemma. Students must think like both hedgehog and fox. With the Fourth Industrial Revolution well underway, it is students who are trained to be thinkers of depth and breadth that will most likely thrive in the age to come.
It is with the fox and hedgehog in mind that we have designed our latest comprehension workbook. Unlike other books, this book has an online learning platform built into it. Through this book, students will learn the one important thing necessary for their O-level examination – the skill needed to excel in their English comprehension papers. This book will also enable students to learn many things because Books & People has curated thematically related ebooks, Kahoot! games, documentaries and many other surprises on its online platform to inspire learning beyond the comprehension texts.
Students and teachers will definitely find this book to be a powerful tool for Home-Based Learning, independent learning, and classroom discussions.
Societies will always need the deep expertise of hedgehogs and the versatility of foxes. It is our sincere hope that this book will inspire students to think like both the fox and the hedgehog for a better tomorrow and for a better age.
