Overview
Hey everyone!
Have you ever wondered why we are the way we are?
Have you ever wondered how human beings climbed to the top of the food chain?
If the answer is yes, then Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari is just for you!
Today’s book review will cover the following topics:
Rating
One Line Summary
Where can I buy it?
Book Summary
Writing Style & Design
What I Learnt from this Book?
Who Should Read this Book
Quotes & Excerpts
Meet the Author
Where can I buy it?
Similar Books
Final Thoughts
Rating
One Line Summary
The history of humankind…in one book!
Where can I buy it?
Book Summary
If there’s one book that you read this decade, let it be this one.
Sapiens will take you on a journey to understand why we are the way we are. The journey from the evolution of the human, steps through the Agricultural Revolution through to the development of Empires and finally Capitalism and the world we inhabit today.
Writing Style & Design
The reason Sapiens this book as sold over 12 million copies, it is made for the average human (you and I) to read. There is no convoluted historical jargon that will make you fall asleep, nor are there dense conceptual ideas that will have you scratching your head.
The beauty of this book is that Harari has condensed the history of mankind into one book. He has spelt out our history in the most succinct and understandable way possible.
What I Learnt from this Book:
- The Agricultural Revolution was a turning point in the history of the human race
- Money is the one construct that all human beings trust.
- As a human race, we have advanced our technology and productivity at the expense of community and belonging.
Who Should Read ‘Sapiens’?
This book is essential reading for everyone. I actually think it should be taught in schools.
It answers some of the fundamental questions of the human race such as:
Why humans have ascended the food chain (which certainly wasn’t the case too long ago)?
Why our society places so much importance on money?
Why, despite advances in technology and living, happiness eludes much of the human population?
Some Stellar Quotes
“Consistency is the playground of dull minds“
“Each year the US population spends more money on diets than the amount needed to feed all the hungry people in the rest of the world.”
“We have mastered our surroundings, increased food production, built cities, established empires and created far-flung trade networks. But did we decrease the amount of suffering in the world?“
“Money is the most universal and most efficient system of mutual trust ever devised“
And my personal favourite:
“How many young college graduates have taken demanding jobs in high-powered firms, vowing that they will work hard to earn money that will enable them to retire and pursue their real interests when they are thirty-five? But by the time they reach that age, they have large mortgages, children to school, houses in the suburbs that necessitate at least two cars per family, and a sense that life is not worth living without really good wine and expensive holidays abroad. What are they supposed to do, go back to digging up roots? No, they double their efforts and keep slaving away.“
Meet the Author
Prof. Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, philosopher, and the bestselling author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, and Sapiens: A Graphic History. His books have sold over 35 Million copies in 65 languages, and he is considered one of the world’s most influential public intellectuals today.
- [ynharari.com/about]
Yuval Noah Harari was born in Israel in 1976. He received his PhD from the University of Oxford in 2002 and is currently a lecturer at the Department of History in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
After the success of his book, Sapiens, in 2019, Yuval and his partner, Itzik Yahav co-founded Sapienship, a social impact compact with projects in the fields of entertainment and education.
He’s one smart dude.
You can also check out his website, Instagram and TED talk on the Rise of Humans
Where can you buy it?
Similar Books
Final Thoughts
This is one of my favourite non-fiction books of all time. It answers some fundamental questions about the human race and will really get you thinking!
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PS: Some of the links in this blog post are affiliate links, from which I receive a small kickback.
