SAPIENS

A Brief History of Humankind

SUMMARY
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
Yuval Noah Harari 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.
 SAPIENS
A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah Harari

A Review by
Tharani Loganathan

Yuval Noah Harari’s ‘Sapiens’ is a popular,
international best-seller. This a book uses a
macro-history perspective, that’s part macro-
archaeology and socio-biology, to describe the
socio-cultural progress of Homo sapiens, from
being one of six species in the genus Homo some
200,000 years ago, to the present day, all powerful
human being, who dominates the animals and
environment on Earth.
In the final chapters, the author theorises that
modern day man is unlikely to be happier than the
mediaeval man or the hunter-gatherers, despite
their living in the most prosperous and peaceful
era ever. Yuval ends by contemplating a future of
Homo sapiens as super-beings, genetically-altered
or enhanced by cybernetic implants, rendering
them unrecognisable to present day Homo
sapiens.

I found this book too simple to be satisfying. The
first part on the prehistoric man and the Cognitive
Revolution was by far the most entertaining.
However, the conclusions drawn seemed to be
based on speculative theories rather than hard
evidence, which would likely be the case in the
field of macro-archaeology.
I think this book would better suit those with little
prior knowledge of history, science, or biology. The
simplicity of the narrative, and the light-weight
nature of its scientific and historical content may
have made this a popular read for many, but left
me rather unimpressed.

The subsequent parts of the dealt with the

Agricultural Revolution, followed by the unification
of man through the twin evils (or virtues depending
on your perspective) of capitalism and religion,
and finally the Scientific revolution. Unfortunately,
hardly anything new was discussed, nor were the
perspectives presented particularly novel.