If you’re looking for a book that might just change the way you think about… everything, this book is it. This book is all about the idea of shared myths (or fictions) and their power to influence. Things like religion, money, countries, and countries are all uniquely human constructs. Some have their uses while others simply are tools of oppression and control.
One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us?
Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas.
Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become?
– ynharari.com
Want to get a feel for the way Dr. Yuval Noah Harar presents ideas and concepts? Check out his TED Talk on “Why humans run the world.”
We, modern day humans, take for granted that we are at the top of the food chain. Most think we will continue to be top of the pyramid for the foreseeable future. That might not be true though. Dr. Yuval Noah Harar does an amazing job telling the story of how we got to this point while also asking questions of the future of humanity. They leave the answers to these questions of the future open ended for the reader to ponder and answer for themselves.
You can buy the book with my affiliate link from Amazon or any number of book sellers.
Have you read “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harar? What did you think?