Friday, February 2, 2018

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari




Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari is quite extensive in its scope despite the sub-title.  Harari covers the entire history of the species he calls Sapiens, from their unexceptional rise in Africa to their domination, and ultimate transformation of the world.

Harari is so inclusive that he often runs two lines of thought without trying to rectify them.  He stresses, quite correctly, that human evolution and dominance of the planet was an accident, and is by no means secure. But in other areas, he writes as if it is the destiny of Sapiens to grow more complex in their social arrangements; that it is fated.

He juggles these two balls throughout the book.  The author often treats Sapiens as animals, no more special than any others.  At other times, he presents Sapiens as destined creatures, so unique that they will surpass natural selection entirely with intelligence and technology. 

This has been the cleavage that runs through our species self-conception since the rise of natural science.  In this book, the two streams can be a bit distracting, even annoying at times.  But Harari is presenting a work that is vast in its scope and aims; in a way, it seems fair to leave this part of the human experience unanswered and contradictory.  In the end it is the best approach to examine the history of our troubled species. 

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