Sapiens

By: Yuval Noah Harari

Narrated by: Derek Perkins

Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

The Sunday Times best seller.

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 audiobook, 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. For more, visit www.ynharari.com.

©2011 Yuval Noah Harari (P)2015 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

"Interesting and provocative.... It gives you a sense of how briefly we've been on this Earth." (Barack Obama)

"Jaw-dropping from the first word to the last.... It may be the best book I've ever read." (Chris Evans)

"Sweeps the cobwebs out of your brain.... Radiates power and clarity." (Sunday Times)

Life changing book

It's hard to clearly articulate how profoundly this book (and it's sequel, Homo Deus) has changed my life. I have a much firmer understanding of the history of our species, the origins of our religions and our belief systems, and our possible futures. Anyone who wants to think deeply about life's important questions and be involved in our destiny should read or listen to this book.

Brilliant Macrohistory

A sweeping narrative of the history of mankind. The author perches himself in a vantage that summarises millennia of biological and historical evolution. The concept that everything is a product of human imagination was dealt with convincingly. The enquiry into happiness and the role of biochemistry in the evolution of man was valuable. An objective analysis of various forces that have and are shaping the world.

A must read!!!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely!! It is extremely well written and narrated. This book summarizes the answers to how we (Sapiens) have arrived at this point in time, ability and culture and goes beyond by asking the questions of where we are headed to, whether by our own devices or through circumstance. I definitely recommend spending a minimum of 15 hours of your time to read every bit of this book, I know I'll be scheduling another 15 to 20 hours for another read (more synoptic) to get into the guts of the matter and read alongside other such works

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sapiens?

There were so many great moments but I'll mention a few:

- The realization that we are probably not as special (when compared to other species) as we might want to believe.
- The realization that while we generally view ourselves as the one and only true humans, there have been other types of humans with their own strengths and quirks
- Our future and the implications of advancements we are making (such as AI, etc)
- A reinforcement of the realization that many things we consciously believe as real are either figments of our imagination or simply our own perspectives based on our beliefs, norms and values as well as the accuracy of our individual & collective apparatus i.e. eyes, ears, nostrils, etc.

What about Derek Perkins’s performance did you like?

A solid performance by Derek Perkins. His narration style was perfect for the content and while I reading I thought he was the author (I think it reminded me of Neil degrasse Tyson's narration of his own book, Astrophysics for people in a hurry, where you could tell that he was more than a master of the content in the book)....his delivery was awesome!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was left with many questions with one powerful question being whether the point to life was for the well-being of the individual or for the well-being of the species over time or maybe it's not a zero-sum game but that leads to even more questions than answers

Any additional comments?

Two very minor observations and/or corrections for the author:

- Akhenaten and his adoption of monotheism: I thought the date was more around 1350BC rather than 350BC as narrated in the book (which is rather quite late)

- The insinuation that Ghana (and by extension implying that African states) select dictators as leaders: there is a common misconception that all African states are run by despots. It is true that the systems of government in most African countries are worse than those in Northern and Central Europe (and maybe there is more corruption but I would probably qualify that statement by stating there is more "blantant" corruption in several African states whereas there is more sophisticated corruption in the west and obviously Trump, with his ethical dilemmas, is an exception to this) but many countries like Botswana, Zambia and Ghana have been voting for their leaders in peaceful elections for decades. Unfortunately, the general view presented of Africa is that of the deeply troubled states such as Somalia and Sudan and the success stories are completely ignored. I'm not trying to criticize you (the author) as you are likely just as much a victim of how information about Africa is presented by the media (a mix of fake and real news) but rather that if people like yourself can start to use a different tone and send a different message when talking about Africa, that this could change the attitude of many (including many Africans themselves who are exposed to some of the same fake news) about Africa and its people and facilitate greater cooperation across all sapiens and not just some sapiens.

One of the best "histories" around

A must read/listen for anyone with a scientific outlook and interest towards history. This book has an exceptionally objective approach towards mankind and its habits, cultures and beliefs. The approach might even offend some people as the book is for example unapologetically atheist

The subtitle says it all

What did you love best about Sapiens?

I liked that it gave a good foundation of various disciplines when it comes to dealing with humanity: Biology, Sociology, Psychology, History, and even a bit of conjecture.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the fact that it pretty much covered everything from Darwin's theory of evolution to speculation about where we are heading as a species that can alter our own destiny.

What about Derek Perkins’s performance did you like?

Good reader, and able to convey both the finer points as well as the humour of the book.

A fresh and unique lens to view the world

It has made me re-evaluate almost everything I thought I knew! And it does so in vivid prose, bringing history to life. Highly recommended!

Everything we already know, in one story

This book is amazingly easy to follow and enjoyable right through to the end. It has vastly enhanced my big picture view of the world. If you enjoyed it I would also recommend the Coursera free online course. Although maybe, like me, you're here because you're already done that.

A modern masterpiece

This is a modern master piece. Succinct, unbiased, extreme coverage of time and space. Just a marvellous read.

Mind blowing

Incredible journey into the past and future of human beings. So much fascinating information and insights. I loved it. Wow.

Just wooow. absolutely amazing book

I think this is the best book I've read so far. The narrator is amazing, the story is mind blowing and the book really makes you think and put human life in perspective.

Thought provoking but overconfident

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and found many ideas expressed in it quite thought provoking and insightful. In particular, the idea that the apparent drive of our species to form common narratives, stories, concepts, narratives, may have evolved because it facilitates spontaneous, loosely organized but highly effective cooperation among large numbers of individuals was interesting and very compellingly argued.
Nevertheless, the author does have a tendency to present his ideas not so much as interesting ideas that might be true, but as facts. His style is very engaging and persuasive, so you often don't even notice the hidden questionable assumptions, or the fact that, in his wide, sweeping arguments, the author often roams through several disciplines that he can't possibly all be expert in.
Overall a very enjoyable intellectual journey, but to be enjoyed with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Very interesting, but be careful!

The author does a great job of engaging his audience and stirring up their emotions, hopes, and fears. However, it feels too long and repetitive at some point but still not in a very bad way. My main criticism of it is that the writing is really trying to force the author's opinions into the reader as solid truths and objective facts, and what he says comes off to me as both nihilistic and sadistic. In some instances, I feel like historical events were twisted (while still remaining true) and reinterpreted to fit the author’s perspective and further his cause. But that’s my own judgment. Still, I’d recommend it as a really interesting and engaging book, but I’d warn the reader not to talk everything being said as factual and objective.

Scares the hell out of me

Sapiens is easily one of the most thought provoking books I have ever read. It has caused me to doubt the our whole human endeavour while at the same time made me want to be a better person. loved it.

More Manifesto than History

I gave it four stars because I quite liked the things that he was saying, and I agreed with his view of the way the Sapiens species has inflicted itself on the world. But if you are expecting a 'proper' history book- devoid of opinion, and trying to tell things as they happened, but without bias, then this is definitely not for you.
It's an editorial rather than a report.

Simplistic nonsense

I really wanted to like this book but ended up disliking it. There are potentially useful insights buried deep in here, which are sufficient to justify an essay, but not a book. The generalisations, paragraphs of silly explanations, interspersed with politically loaded nonsense and assertions about human history without substantiation, make the listening experience tiresome, and have a way of making one doubt the whole narrative's honesty.

I gave up, when to explain how money came about, after explaining money is portable, it was explained to me that a farmer had a problem if he wanted to move house as he couldn't take his house and paddy fields with him, that he could exchange them for tons of rice, but even that isn't easily transported. I don't think the tone of the narration helped much either as the narrator seems to have bought into the school teacher ambiance the whole book exudes.

It's as if the author thinks the reader/listener is a school pre-starter, and that he is the educator who's so much more intelligent and experienced. It's patronising beyond belief.

Thought provoking but light on facts, heavy on opinions

Worth a listen as a discussion starter. But I would have preferred more research to balance the authors interpretations and opinions
Recommended.

Opinion stated as fact.

What would have made Sapiens better?

Many advanced concepts (such as the medical basis of depression) elaborated on by the author - who apparently has no knowledge in this area - with laughable inaccuracy and assumptions. Most of the book is opinions stated as facts.The author's personal view on modern life is clearly quite different to others', yet it is stated as fact.

Good first 1/3 of book... after that it gets bad

I enjoyed the first 1/3 of the book. After getting two sided and equal accounting of the possible history of man, it seems the writer lost his neutrality.

Harry Potter is not a good example of what happens to humans. The use of Harry Potter as a good example of what happens when people find their skills and hone them is what set my alarm bells ringing.

At this point, sadly I found the quality of the information sources and neutrality of the discussion went downhill. A simple example is that while stating that you can't measure the success of the human race by the number of offspring, as quality of life is probably adversely affected, the author does not see fit to do the same for women who are, in this book, clearly measured by the standard "have they made it in business" yardstick.

Brilliant!

What did you like most about Sapiens?

Engaging narrative and the themes were spun together very imaginatively.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sapiens?

The narrator brought the whole to life (for me the quality of narrator makes or breaks the audiobook....i have returned 3 previously that I am sure are great reads but are murdered by a poor narrator)

What about Derek Perkins’s performance did you like?

Engaging, never aggravating...no mean trick!

Politics masquerading as science

Although the beginning of the book is informative and well thought out, after a while it begins to become more and more political, replacing hard facts with the ideology of the author. At this point I am very disappointed with the decision to discard scientific accuracy, and would not recommend this book to anyone.