75 pages 2 hours read

Yuval Noah Harari

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2011

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari explores the evolution of Homo sapiens from primitive beings to dominant species, emphasizing cognitive, agricultural, scientific, and industrial revolutions. Harari argues that communication and shared myths like religion and money enabled large-scale cooperation, leading to significant societal advances and environmental impacts. Sensitive topics include historical violence and exploitation.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens has been praised for its engaging narrative and insightful synthesis of human history. Reviewers commend Harari's ability to make complex ideas accessible, though some criticize his broad generalizations and occasional speculative leaps. Overall, it's lauded as a thought-provoking, well-written exploration of humanity's past.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Sapiens?

Readers who enjoy Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari are intellectually curious individuals interested in human history, anthropology, and social evolution. Similar audiences often appreciate Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel and Steven Pinker's The Better Angels of Our Nature for their broad, interdisciplinary explorations of humanity's past and future.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Book Details

Topics

Science / Nature

Anthropology

Sociology

Genre

Anthropology

Psychology

Philosophy