Sapiens is an account of the history of mankind, using both natural science and social science to detail how homo sapiens became the predominant species on the planet. The core premise is that sapiens’ ability to cooperate in large numbers enabled them to survive and flourish in the environments they faced. He divides our history into 4 eras – the Cognitive Phase, the Agricultural Revolution, The Unification Process, and the Scientific Revolution. Throughout the book, Harari posits that it is imagination and the ability to create fiction that are the primary skills used to rally humans to work together, to pass on knowledge, and to strive for ideals. He follows this theme throughout human history explaining how farming, religion, politics, money, progress, and various milestones follow from man’s ability to imagine, to create stories, and generate cultural meaning to achieve goals.
The book does not read like a historical account. The author uses plain language, imaginative storytelling, engaging anecdotes, and interesting examples to build the main themes. I found his content to be audacious, both mostly refreshingly so, as in:
People easily acknowledge that ‘primitive tribes’ cement their social order by believing in ghosts and spirits, and gathering each full moon to dance together around the campfire. What we fail to appreciate is that our modern institutions function on exactly the same basis.”
and
“History is something that very few people have been doing while everyone else was ploughing fields and carrying water buckets.”
Over 400 pages, there are many gems to stimulate personal response and potential discussions. At times, he may be extending his conclusions beyond the evidence, stretching the rules of generalizability. But on the whole, I found myself agreeing with him. The whole book was thought-provoking and entertaining. I can highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to be challenged and informed at the same time. 4.8 out of 5.0 stars
An audiobook excerpt: