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A review by megancortez
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
5.0
Amazing book! If I could give 6 stars out of 5, I would! Harari fascinates with his enchanting narrative. He weaves a tapestry of the whole of human history (even before we had a history), zooming in and out from the broad picture of our development as a species to the mundane and pivotal moments alike that changed our course, for better or worse. He poses the question of the aim of humankind, whether or not we even have one, and what we mean to do with ourselves as we intensify the rate of progress and scientific advancement - what is it that we are advancing towards? And furthermore, why?
I'm still grappling with and processing all that this collosal book has to offer and I fully plan on acquiring it a different way (I listened to it on Libby) so I can read through it again. I almost want all highschool history courses to list this as compulsory reading because it contextualizes so many historical events, processes, and patterns into a much more understandable ... well, narrative! I am not an historian, but I find that the claims Harari makes about the historical events he covers here are well educated and supported by the evidence we have available, coupled as all things should be with a healthy dose of logic and reasoning. Making sense of the past contextualizes the present; and, as Harari asks of his readers, makes one think more intentionally, more considerately, and more profoundly about the future.
I'm still grappling with and processing all that this collosal book has to offer and I fully plan on acquiring it a different way (I listened to it on Libby) so I can read through it again. I almost want all highschool history courses to list this as compulsory reading because it contextualizes so many historical events, processes, and patterns into a much more understandable ... well, narrative! I am not an historian, but I find that the claims Harari makes about the historical events he covers here are well educated and supported by the evidence we have available, coupled as all things should be with a healthy dose of logic and reasoning. Making sense of the past contextualizes the present; and, as Harari asks of his readers, makes one think more intentionally, more considerately, and more profoundly about the future.