📖 peek insideSapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
by Yuval Noah Harari
Yuval Noah Harari spans the whole of human history, from the very first humans to walk the earth to the radical breakthroughs of the Cognitive, Agricultural, and Scientific Revolutions. Drawing on insights from biology, anthropology, and economics, he explores how the currents of history have shaped our human societies, the animals and plants around us, and even our personalities. This provocative book challenges everything we thought we knew about being human, including our shared myths, our collective actions, and our future evolution.
Widely read around the world. Estimated 10 million readers.
Notable Quotes
"You could never convince a monkey to give you a banana by promising him limitless bananas after death in monkey heaven."
"How do you cause people to believe in an imagined order such as Christianity, democracy or capitalism? First, you never admit that the order is imagined."
"Culture tends to argue that it forbids only that which is unnatural. But from a biological perspective, nothing is unnatural. Whatever is possible is by definition also natural. A truly unnatural behaviour, one that goes against the laws of nature, simply cannot exist, so it would need no prohibition."
You might also enjoy
Guns, Germs, and Steel
by Jared Diamond
A rigorous, interdisciplinary study of human societies. It uses geography and biology to explain why certain civilizations conquered others.
Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress
by Steven Pinker
A massive, data-driven defense of human progress. It uses rigorous statistics to prove the world is actually improving.
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World
by Peter Frankopan
A deeply researched global history shifting focus to the East. It meticulously details how ancient trade networks shaped civilization.
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome
by Mary Beard
A highly academic yet accessible deep dive into Ancient Rome. It separates historical facts from enduring imperial myths.
Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin
by Timothy Snyder
A profoundly dense and harrowing academic study. It meticulously details the horrific atrocities committed between Hitler and Stalin.
Make Time
by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky
Redesign your daily routine to find more joy. Packed with dozens of highly actionable tips to optimize focus.