Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

by Yuval Noah Harari
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

by Yuval Noah Harari

Paperback

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Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

A compelling read that looks at the triumphs and endurability of homo sapiens through the lens of both history and science. Harari offers insight into the constant evolution of humanity and what the future could possibly look like for our species.

Official U.S. edition with full color illustrations throughout.

#1 New York Times Bestseller

The Summer Reading Pick for President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg,  now available as a beautifully packaged paperback

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.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780062316110
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 05/15/2018
Pages: 464
Sales rank: 3,332
Product dimensions: 5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.10(d)

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. 

Table of Contents

Timeline of History viii

Part 1 The Cognitive Revolution

1 An Animal of No Significance 3

2 The Tree of Knowledge 20

3 A Day in the Life of Adam and Eve 40

4 The Flood 63

Part 2 The Agricultural Resolution

5 History's Biggest Fraud 77

6 Building Pyramids 98

7 Memory Overload 119

8 There is No Justice in History 133

Part 3 The Unification of Humankind

9 The Arrow of History 163

10 The Scent of Money 173

11 Imperial Visions 188

12 The Law of Religion 209

13 The Secret of Success 237

Part 4 The Scientific Revolution

14 The Discovery of Ignorance 247

15 The Marriage of Science and Empire 275

16 The Capitalist Creed 305

17 The Wheels of Industry 334

18 A Permanent Revolution 350

19 And They Lived Happily Ever After 376

20 The End of Homo Sapiens 397

Afterword: The Animal that Became a God 415

Notes 417

Acknowledgements 429

Image credits 431

Index 433

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