Sapiens - A Brief History of Humankind

"From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity's creation and evolution--a #1 international bestseller--that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be "human." One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one--homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas .Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become? Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem"--;Timeline of history -- An animal of no significance -- The tree of knowledge -- A day in the life of Adam and Eve -- The flood -- History's biggest fraud -- Building pyramids -- Memory overload -- There is no justice in history -- The arrow of history -- The scent of money -- Imperial visions ; The law of religion -- The secret of success -- The discovery of ignorance -- The marriage of science and empire -- The capitalist creed ; The wheels of industry -- A permanent revolution -- And they lived happily ever after -- The end of Homo sapiens -- Afterword : The animal that became a god. One Hundred Thousand Years Ago, At Least Six Different Species Of Humans Inhabited Earth. Yet Today There Is Only One -- Homo Sapiens. What Happened To The Others? And What May Happen To Us? From Examining The Role Evolving Humans Have Played In The Global Ecosystem To Charting The Rise Of Empires, Sapiens Integrates History And Science To Reconsider Accepted Narratives, Connect Past Developments With Contemporary Concerns, And Examine Specific Events Within The Context Of Larger Ideas. Dr. Harari Also Compels Us To Look Ahead, Because Over The Last Few Decades Humans Have Begun To Bend Laws Of Natural Selection That Have Governed Life For The Past Four Billion Years. We Are Acquiring The Ability To Design Not Only The World Around Us, But Also Ourselves. Where Is This Leading Us, And What Do We Want To Become? Timeline Of History -- Part One. The Cognitive Revolution -- An Animal Of No Significance -- The Tree Of Knowledge -- A Day In The Life Of Adam And Eve -- The Flood -- Part Two. The Agricultural Revolution. History's Biggest Fraud -- Building Pyramids -- Memory Overload -- There Is No Justice In History -- Part Three. The Unification Of Humankind. The Arrow Of History -- The Scent Of Money -- Imperial Visions -- The Law Of Religion -- The Secret Of Success -- Part Four. The Scientific Revolution. The Discovery Of Ignorance -- The Marriage Of Science And Empire -- The Capitalist Creed -- The Wheels Of Industry -- A Permanent Revolution -- And They Lived Happily Ever After -- The End Of Homo Sapiens -- Afterword: The Animal That Became A God. Yuval Noah Harari ; Translated By The Author, With The Help Of John Purcell And Haim Watzman ; Maps By Neil Gower. Translation Of: Kitsur Toldot Ha-enoshut. 2011. First Published In Hebrew In Israel In 2011 By Kinneret, Mora-bitan, Dvir.--title Page Verso. Previously Published In A Slightly Different Form In Great Britain In 2014 By Harvill Secker, A Division Of The Random House Group Ltd.--title Page Verso. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 417-428) And Index. New York Times Readers'Pick: Top 100 Books of the 21st CenturyNew York Times BestsellerA Summer Reading Pick for President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity's creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.”One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us?Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas.Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become?Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem. New York Times Bestseller A Summer Reading Pick for President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.” One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas. Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become? Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem. "From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity's creation and evolution--a #1 international bestseller--that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be "human." One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one--homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas .Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become? Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem"-- Proporcionado por el editor "From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity's creation and evolution--a #1 international bestseller--that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be "human." One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one--homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas .Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become? Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem"-- Provided by publisher NATIONAL BESTSELLER NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Destined to become a modern classic in the vein of Guns, Germs, and Steel , Sapiens is a lively, groundbreaking history of humankind told from a unique perspective. 100,000 years ago, at least six species of human inhabited the earth. Today there is just one. Us. Homo Sapiens . How did our species succeed in the battle for dominance? Why did our foraging ancestors come together to create cities and kingdoms? How did we come to believe in gods, nations, and human rights; to trust money, books, and laws; and to be enslaved by bureaucracy, timetables, and consumerism? And what will our world be like in the millennia to come? In Sapiens , Dr. Yuval Noah Harari spans the whole of human history, from the very first humans to walk the earth to the radical — and sometimes devastating — breakthroughs of the Cognitive, Agricultural, and Scientific Revolutions. Drawing on insights from biology, anthropology, palaeontology, and economics, he explores how the currents of history have shaped our human societies, the animals and plants around us, and even our personalities. Have we become happier as history has unfolded? Can we ever free our behaviour from the heritage of our ancestors? And what, if anything, can we do to influence the course of the centuries to come? Bold, wide-ranging and provocative, Sapiens challenges everything we thought we knew about being human: our thoughts, our actions, our power...and our future. Planet Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it. Us. We are the most advanced and most destructive animals ever to have lived. What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens? In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we're going. Sapiens is a thrilling account of humankind's extraordinary history - from the Stone Age to the Silicon Age - and our journey from insignificant apes to rulers of the world. "Unbelievably good. Jaw-dropping from the first word to the last." - Chris Evans, BBC Radio 2Dr Yuval Noah Harari has a PhD in History from the University of Oxford and now lectures at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, specialising in World History. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, published in 2014, has become an international phenomenon and is published in nearly 40 languages worldwide. It was in the Sunday Times bestseller list for over six months in paperback and was a New York Times top ten best-seller. One Hundred Thousand Years Ago, At Least Six Human Species Inhabited The Earth. Today There Is Just One. Us. Homo Sapiens. How Did Our Species Succeed In The Battle For Dominance? Why Did Our Foraging Ancestors Come Together To Create Cities And Kingdoms? How Did We Come To Believe In Gods, Nations, And Human Rights; To Trust Money, Books, And Laws; And To Be Enslaved By Bureaucracy, Timetables, And Consumerism? Bold, Wide-ranging, And Provocative, Sapiens Integrates History And Science To Challenge Everything We Thought We Knew About Being Human: Our Thoughts, Our Actions, Our Heritage . . . And Our Future. (p.010) Harper Perennial A hardcover edition of this book was published in 2015 by HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright (c) by Yuval Noah Harari. Printed in Canada. First Harper Perennial edition published 2018. ISBN 978-0-06-231611-0 (pbk.)