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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
It is definitely a good book. It takes the reader through significant happenings of the century spiced with old stories and fear of the future.
It may not be a scientific driven book where all facts check out, but it definitely is a good read for history and humanity fans. The vivid and interesting examples the author uses is the main reason the reader keeps reading.
It may not be a scientific driven book where all facts check out, but it definitely is a good read for history and humanity fans. The vivid and interesting examples the author uses is the main reason the reader keeps reading.
"Humankind is losing faith in the liberal story that dominated global politics in recent decades, exactly when the merger of biotech and infotech confronts us with the biggest challenges humans have ever encountered".
Harari goes on to explore how the crises we face in biotech, politics, information and ecology are now global. Thus protecting national interests isn't going to save spaceship earth. This is just as lucid and fascinating as the author's two previous works and he presents his topic thoughtfully and with great humility. I was afraid that "21 lessons" implied that he'd be on some high horse and that I would encounter unpleasant truths. Of course I did, but none worse than I deserved.
“So if you blame Facebook, Trump, or Putin for ushering in a new and frightening era of post-truth, remind yourself that centuries ago millions of Christians locked themselves inside a self-reinforcing mythological bubble, never daring to question the factual veracity of the Bible, while millions of Muslims put their unquestioning faith in the Quran. For millennia, much of what passed for “news” and “facts” in human social networks were stories about miracles, angels, demons, and witches, with bold reporters giving live coverage straight from the deepest pits of the underworld. We have zero scientific evidence that Eve was tempted by the serpent, that the souls of all infidels burn in hell after they die, or that the creator of the universe doesn’t like it when a Brahmin marries a Dalit—yet billions of people have believed in these stories for thousands of years. Some fake news lasts forever.”
Toward the end Harari explores meditation, a technique he uses to observe consciousness and bodily processes.
"When I want something and it doesn' happen, my mind reacts by generating suffering. Suffering is not an objective condition in the outside world. It is a mental reaction generated by my own mind. Learning this is the first step toward ceasing to generate more suffering."
So simple and so difficult. I have struggled deeply by wanting something I absolutely cannot get this spring and have dealt with acceptance of this self-created suffering. This has been going at the same time as I decided that leaving my husband would probably bring me at least some peace of mind. Which it seems to have, so far.
"Anthroplogists and zoologists spend years on faraway islands, exposed to a plethora of ailments and dangers. Astrounauts devote many years to difficult training regimes, preparing for their hazardous excursions to outer space. If we are willing to make such efforts in order to understand foreign cultures, unknown species and distant planets, it might be worth working just as hard in order to understand our own minds. And we had better understand our minds before the algorithms make our minds up for us."
Read this book. It is thought-provoking, painful and insightful. You need it more than you think you do.
Harari goes on to explore how the crises we face in biotech, politics, information and ecology are now global. Thus protecting national interests isn't going to save spaceship earth. This is just as lucid and fascinating as the author's two previous works and he presents his topic thoughtfully and with great humility. I was afraid that "21 lessons" implied that he'd be on some high horse and that I would encounter unpleasant truths. Of course I did, but none worse than I deserved.
“So if you blame Facebook, Trump, or Putin for ushering in a new and frightening era of post-truth, remind yourself that centuries ago millions of Christians locked themselves inside a self-reinforcing mythological bubble, never daring to question the factual veracity of the Bible, while millions of Muslims put their unquestioning faith in the Quran. For millennia, much of what passed for “news” and “facts” in human social networks were stories about miracles, angels, demons, and witches, with bold reporters giving live coverage straight from the deepest pits of the underworld. We have zero scientific evidence that Eve was tempted by the serpent, that the souls of all infidels burn in hell after they die, or that the creator of the universe doesn’t like it when a Brahmin marries a Dalit—yet billions of people have believed in these stories for thousands of years. Some fake news lasts forever.”
Toward the end Harari explores meditation, a technique he uses to observe consciousness and bodily processes.
"When I want something and it doesn' happen, my mind reacts by generating suffering. Suffering is not an objective condition in the outside world. It is a mental reaction generated by my own mind. Learning this is the first step toward ceasing to generate more suffering."
So simple and so difficult. I have struggled deeply by wanting something I absolutely cannot get this spring and have dealt with acceptance of this self-created suffering. This has been going at the same time as I decided that leaving my husband would probably bring me at least some peace of mind. Which it seems to have, so far.
"Anthroplogists and zoologists spend years on faraway islands, exposed to a plethora of ailments and dangers. Astrounauts devote many years to difficult training regimes, preparing for their hazardous excursions to outer space. If we are willing to make such efforts in order to understand foreign cultures, unknown species and distant planets, it might be worth working just as hard in order to understand our own minds. And we had better understand our minds before the algorithms make our minds up for us."
Read this book. It is thought-provoking, painful and insightful. You need it more than you think you do.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
(Recommended by VJ)
I have not read Sapiens or Homo Deus but given their popularity I believe I was expecting more. These essays felt very similar to the essays and discussions I would have in college. It is clear Harari is a very complex thinker but I believe I would have appreciated more fleshed out thinking in each essay rather than his initial thoughts. In addition, he has the uncanny ability to describe incredibly dystopian worlds while arguing for why they’d be affective. His prose is very convincing.
I have not read Sapiens or Homo Deus but given their popularity I believe I was expecting more. These essays felt very similar to the essays and discussions I would have in college. It is clear Harari is a very complex thinker but I believe I would have appreciated more fleshed out thinking in each essay rather than his initial thoughts. In addition, he has the uncanny ability to describe incredibly dystopian worlds while arguing for why they’d be affective. His prose is very convincing.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century should be read by everyone! This book serves as a center to Harari's previous works, and focuses on what will or can or is happening in our ever-changing 21st Century. Written in a conversational style and divided into 5 different topics with each chapter a subtopic under the general topic, the book's content pushes one to think outside of their comfort zone, to think about not just themselves, but about the biggest problems and actions happening in our world today. I enjoyed the fact that Harari presented information about each subtopic and then explored various scenarios that could play out depending on human decisions and reactions to the various situations.
Each page of this book forced me to really analyze and question how I impact the world, to questions if I can impact the world, or does the world just impact me? How much will our world change, will we allow the hypothetical changes to happen or will we shrink in on ourselves and hinder progress? Is progress just for progress sake worth the human cost that may come with it? So many questions have been prompted inside me by reading this book.
Thank you, NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau (Random House Imprint) for providing me an eGalley of Harari's newest book in exchange for an honest review.
Each page of this book forced me to really analyze and question how I impact the world, to questions if I can impact the world, or does the world just impact me? How much will our world change, will we allow the hypothetical changes to happen or will we shrink in on ourselves and hinder progress? Is progress just for progress sake worth the human cost that may come with it? So many questions have been prompted inside me by reading this book.
Thank you, NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau (Random House Imprint) for providing me an eGalley of Harari's newest book in exchange for an honest review.
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Highly insightful. The case studies Harari showcases are often fascinating and enlightening. He holds a mirror up to many parts of society that gives a detailed account, with interrogation and points for the reader to reflect on. The chapter on science fiction is particularly interesting; society and the media has a responsibility to attempt to shape societal beliefs and therefore influence behaviour. The chapters on post-truth, humility, immigration, and disillusionment are very poignant. Not all books like this manage it, but Harari’s provides recommendations and actions to take into real life. Incredibly relevant and useful.
Pretty revolutionary. Like his use of cartoons to teach philosophy 😀
Easily as interesting as the first two books, I really can’t recommend any of them enough.