Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

· Sold by Harper Collins
4.6
781 reviews
Ebook
464
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

New York Times Bestseller

A Summer Reading Pick for President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg

From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.”

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?

Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem.

Ratings and reviews

4.6
781 reviews
Matt Kiba
May 12, 2022
I like this book because it is full of summarized historical stories, facts, and myths, allowing me to down and digest information quickly. The down side is that Yuval is extremely biased and every few pages keeps coming back to his hatred of monotheism, as if he was punched by a Christian as a child. From "Christianity spread it's tentacles around.." to "the only explanation for bad in the world is that God is evil". Furthermore, the beginning of the book is based too strongly on his own guesses, but he writes them as if they're facts.
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Anupriya Singpuri
May 14, 2018
It's too Lucid a read and I agree with one of the commentators that Mr Harari had purposely omitted some facts that didn't suit his theories and I see a lack of citation that usually is take care of in other popular science books. Apart from that, this book is insightful and worth a read. Every page is thought provoking. Every word connects to us a a member of the sapiens species instantly. And I also see how beautifully this books enumerates the reason why some readers here are ready to call this book an "agenda" and criticize evolution and Harari's attempt to show that there isn't really much of a difference between races. He's not the separationist as you're trying to paint him you white American Folks. You are. I'm so sorry you were never taught to look at anything without your glasses of Bible and Christianity. You guys are missing out on a lot. Trust me. There was one commentator who objected on the overly feminine tone of the book. Being a female, I enjoyed it. So far, It's the only book I've read that doesn't considers males and "he" to be a default party. That's the beauty of biology that it priorities maternity and seeing it's inclusion in literature and history should be a welcome relief.
146 people found this review helpful
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Noah Hopkins
August 14, 2016
As an English teacher, this work is well-written for anyone to enjoy. While I've heard that not everyone agrees with some of the author's claims, i feel it's a strong starting point for anyone wanting to better understand humanity's origins. My favorite things about the book are that Harari doesn't denigrate religion early on. He simply identifies the positive role it has had in moderating large groups. Second, he highlights our ability to create fiction. That's something I'd like my students to explore.
44 people found this review helpful
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About the author

Prof. Yuval Noah Harari, bestselling historian and philosopher, is considered one of the world’s most influential intellectuals today. His popular books—including Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind; Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow; 21 Lessons for the 21st Century; and the series Sapiens: A Graphic History and Unstoppable Us—have sold more than 45 million copies in 65 languages. Harari co-founded Sapienship, a social impact company with projects in the fields of education and storytelling, whose main goal is to focus the public conversation on the most important global challenges facing the world today. Harari has a PhD in history from the University of Oxford and currently lectures in the department of history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

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