Sapiens

"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari is a compelling exploration of the history of the human species. It traces the evolution of Homo sapiens from the emergence of our species in the Stone Age to the present day. Harari examines how cognitive, agricultural, and scientific revolutions have shaped societies, cultures, and our understanding of ourselves. The book is known for its thought-provoking insights and engaging narrative, making complex historical and scientific concepts accessible to a broad audience.

Yuval Noah Harari is an Israeli historian and professor in the Department of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He writes about free will, consciousness, intelligence, and happiness. He focuses on the “cognitive revolution” that occurred 70,000 years ago when Homo sapiens replaced the Neanderthals and developed language skills and structured societies, moving upward as apex predators. The agricultural revolution and scientific method assisted this transition. He also focuses on the consequences of a possible biotechnological world in the future in which intelligent creations are surpassed by their own creations. He believes that Homo sapiens as we know it will disappear in a century or so.

He was born in Israel and grew up in a secular Jewish family,. He practices Vipassana meditation, which he said changed his life. He has published numerous books and articles and now focuses on world history and macro historical processes.

His book, Sapiens is based on 20 lectures of an undergraduate world history class he was teaching. The book was a success and was translated into 45 languages. It looks at human history, from the evolution of Homo sapiens in the Stone Age to the political and technological revolutions of the 21st century.

He won the Polonsky Prize for Creativity and Originality in 2009 and 2012. He won the Society for Military History Moncado Award for outstanding articles in military history in 2011. In 2012, he was elected to the Young Israeli Academy of Sciences.