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A review by jackson_kn64
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
4.0
Harari undoubtedly proposes a compelling thesis and analysis of some of the most pressing questions facing humanity today.
This book draws on what it means to be human, and touches on some of the contradictions that we have become accustomed to over the past 200 years, since the Industrial Revolution. This is I think the book's strongest point, in that Harari says what is necessary in reference to the history of Sapiens before the Cognitive and Agricultural Revolutions, and then really draws on the implications modernity (post-Industrial and Scientific Revolution) has brought to our lives today.
I also think that the closing 40 pages or so really sums up the point of the book itself. How do we "know" what it is we want as a society? How can we trust that advancements in artificial intelligence will bring us closer to a level of certain contentment or happiness? Such questions permeate our culture, and it is concerning that many are not consciously evaluating such ideas. The singularity has already begun. We have no idea where we're headed. Our capacity to grasp the significance of the advancements in science is hardly an indication of a defined/determined future.
This book draws on what it means to be human, and touches on some of the contradictions that we have become accustomed to over the past 200 years, since the Industrial Revolution. This is I think the book's strongest point, in that Harari says what is necessary in reference to the history of Sapiens before the Cognitive and Agricultural Revolutions, and then really draws on the implications modernity (post-Industrial and Scientific Revolution) has brought to our lives today.
I also think that the closing 40 pages or so really sums up the point of the book itself. How do we "know" what it is we want as a society? How can we trust that advancements in artificial intelligence will bring us closer to a level of certain contentment or happiness? Such questions permeate our culture, and it is concerning that many are not consciously evaluating such ideas. The singularity has already begun. We have no idea where we're headed. Our capacity to grasp the significance of the advancements in science is hardly an indication of a defined/determined future.