Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari is not just a historical novel but rather a profound exploration into what it really means to be human. I have always found myself interested in the intersections of history and philosophy, and this book showed a great understanding of our past as well as implications for our present and future.

Harari theorizes that around 70,000 years ago, homo sapiens gained the skills of abstract thinking and complex language. The importance of storytelling began, and this kickstarted “modern” communication. 12,000 years ago, humans transitioned from foraging to farming. Along with sustainability and population growth, this was also the introduction of social classes. As time went on, empires with shared ideologies such as religions and currencies started to emerge. This allowed for cooperation on larger scales but this came with discriminations and conflicts as well. Finally, in more recent centuries, society has become much more enamored with science and technological advancements. This has allowed us to fight numerous diseases, become more connected than ever as well as create efficiency in so many aspects of our lives. However, with these advancements, we are becoming more dependent on technology than ever, and many people are losing their jobs.

The main thought I had whilst reading Sapiens, was about the paradox of progress. Throughout human history, we develop new methods on how to solve a particular problem. Almost always, this causes a chain reaction that creates a different problem. Sometimes the problem caused can be a bigger issue than the one originally being solved. Two steps forward, one step back. Often a double edged sword, the easiest example of this is the development of different societies based on ideologies. People gained a greater sense of camaraderie and community, yet on the other hand, fought against other civilizations for not sharing the same ideologies. Development and improvements are a good thing, don’t get me wrong, but we must always proceed with caution and think about the possible outcomes. Often these issues that come from these changes are unavoidable, but we must do our due diligence to make sure that we are choosing the best option available. 

This is not a history book, yet a journey through the development of human beings. Harari bridges the gap between philosophy, history and biology in a way where every reader will take something away from this text. Any book that forces you to think critically is a great book in my mind (Pun intended). I would recommend this to anybody interested in learning more about human history in relation to the environment, as well as ourselves.