"Sapiens"
Yuval Noah Harari
I once told a professor that Sapiens was one of my favorite books. I said something like, “I learned so much from this book that I had no idea about!” He responded, “Well, yeah, but he’s not really saying anything new.”
Reflecting on that now, I can see what the professor meant. Yet, I’d still push back. While Harari may not be groundbreaking if you’re deep into academia, he is a brilliant storyteller who manages to compress the entirety of human history into 443 pages—and make it feel engaging and urgent. If you’ve spent decades studying how humans create meaning through shared storytelling, this probably won’t surprise you. But for most readers, it’s mindboggling.
What Harari really excels at is weaving together insights from biology, anthropology, history, and economics into a single, compelling narrative. The book highlights how our species’ success depended less on brute strength or intelligence and more on our unique ability to believe in shared myths—whether it’s religion, money, or political systems. These imagined realities have built the world we live in and continue to shape our societies in ways we rarely stop to question.
If the word “myth” in that paragraph made you pause or raise an eyebrow—especially when used to describe things we usually consider “true”—then I’d encourage you to pick up this book all the more. Sapiens challenges us to rethink what truth really means in the context of shared belief.
I recommend this book frequently to anyone interested in a read that will teach you a lot about what you don't know, and likely take for granted. Harari will do a far better job spelling this out, but you can now make sense of why governments exist, why Homo Sapiens won out over the others, why all of the "isms" (capitalism, communism, patriotism, etc.) are so important, and so much more.
For me, this book was kindling for my academic journey. His storytelling invites readers to see that our history is not simply a collection of isolated facts, dates, and people, but a complex web of interwoven stories and choices. It challenged me to think differently about history, culture, and the power of shared beliefs—and that challenge continues to shape my work today.
If you’re curious about what makes us human—and why our shared stories matter—Sapiens is an unforgettable place to start.
Reflecting on that now, I can see what the professor meant. Yet, I’d still push back. While Harari may not be groundbreaking if you’re deep into academia, he is a brilliant storyteller who manages to compress the entirety of human history into 443 pages—and make it feel engaging and urgent. If you’ve spent decades studying how humans create meaning through shared storytelling, this probably won’t surprise you. But for most readers, it’s mindboggling.
What Harari really excels at is weaving together insights from biology, anthropology, history, and economics into a single, compelling narrative. The book highlights how our species’ success depended less on brute strength or intelligence and more on our unique ability to believe in shared myths—whether it’s religion, money, or political systems. These imagined realities have built the world we live in and continue to shape our societies in ways we rarely stop to question.
If the word “myth” in that paragraph made you pause or raise an eyebrow—especially when used to describe things we usually consider “true”—then I’d encourage you to pick up this book all the more. Sapiens challenges us to rethink what truth really means in the context of shared belief.
I recommend this book frequently to anyone interested in a read that will teach you a lot about what you don't know, and likely take for granted. Harari will do a far better job spelling this out, but you can now make sense of why governments exist, why Homo Sapiens won out over the others, why all of the "isms" (capitalism, communism, patriotism, etc.) are so important, and so much more.
For me, this book was kindling for my academic journey. His storytelling invites readers to see that our history is not simply a collection of isolated facts, dates, and people, but a complex web of interwoven stories and choices. It challenged me to think differently about history, culture, and the power of shared beliefs—and that challenge continues to shape my work today.
If you’re curious about what makes us human—and why our shared stories matter—Sapiens is an unforgettable place to start.
🌙🌙
Thought-provoking enough to stay with you, but not the kind of page-turner that ruins your sleep.
Thought-provoking enough to stay with you, but not the kind of page-turner that ruins your sleep.
☕☕☕☕
This book is a go-to for deep, thought-provoking reading sessions. It’s rich, engaging, and keeps ideas brewing long after you’ve finished.
This book is a go-to for deep, thought-provoking reading sessions. It’s rich, engaging, and keeps ideas brewing long after you’ve finished.