Homo Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

Whispers of the Story 

Homo Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind is exactly what the title suggests: a brief history of the birth of the human species and its evolution towards present days. Yuval Noah Harari traces in a linear form the existence of the first humanoids, how they started to be more ingenious than animals, how they spread on the planet, the main occupations and different characteristics. He then continues with the agricultural revolution and all the changes it brought, such as forming settlements and the increase in sizes until the first states were formed. The history of humankind continues towards the industrial revolution and informational revolution. All these events are entangled and, from Harari’s point of view, it is a normal development. He believes that we as a specie will continue to try to evolve, so that the next phase will be a biotechnical revolution, where people will be replaced with robots.

Review of Homo Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

I know that this is a controversial book, that many have argued against it, and that it has sparked debate, but I will not go into specifics. I’d just add that the fact that Noah Yuval Harari is a gay atheist Jew may be fuel to some critics’ fire. Let us not judge his book based on his beliefs or his way of life.

The book focuses on the evolution of humankind as a whole, without even mentioning major events, such as wars, focusing on the idea that the homo sapiens will always strive to evolve for the better. As a historian, I must admit that I enjoyed the book in some ways. I liked how it gives a bird’s-eye view of humanity and technological marvels, and how each revolution is a direct and indirect result of the previous one. Yuval Noah Harari has a PhD in history, so the facts are well documented, though it is clear that the book is intended for the general public rather than scientists, as evidenced by the lack of footnotes and endnotes. The book also contains many things that I believe are his personal ideas, but I cannot confirm this due to the lack of a list of sources.

One idea that I found interesting and fun at the same time, was how gossip had a big role in our evolution. I must admit I did not think of it that way. And gossip still has an important role, not only in social interactions, but also in marketing in a way. Just thing it this way, in the past you relied on people talking about your product to gain more clients. Nowadays, people re-tweet, share, write about your products. Better yet, think about celebrities, a gossip repeated enough times can ruin a career.

In the final section of the book, he discusses how the next stage in human evolution will be the creation of robots that can live forever. Yes, I agree that people want to live longer lives, but I don’t believe that the end goal is to create artificial life to support our consciences. We are still rooted in using our bodies to feel various emotions, such as toughness, sexual arousal, and even tiny butterflies in the stomach after a brush of hands. A world in which we will not be able to feel the smallest of sensations would be a very boring one. And, while some people may like the idea of having a conscience living in an artificial body to ensure eternity, I doubt that all of humanity will do so. I think I would miss even the small panic attack when seeing the chair from the dentist office.

Try not to read this as a scientific book. I felt like I was reading a prelude to a sci-fi novel, especially near the end, because the idea of robots ruling the world one day is a recurring theme. I recommend Isaac Asimov’s novel I, Robot, in which he depicts a world in which robots are created. This idea is presented in his other books, and he began writing in the 1940s, so the concept of robots ruling the world is at least 70 years old. 

Overall, I would recommend this book as a light bedtime read that is also entertaining and exciting. I suggest other books if you want to learn about the history of humanity from a historical perspective. Check out my review for the next book in the series by Harari Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow.

Happy reading!