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21 Lessons for the 21st Century

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21 Lessons for the 21st Century

By: Yuval Noah Harari
Narrated by: Derek Perkins
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The audiobook edition of 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari, read by Derek Perkins.
**THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER**

In twenty-one bite-sized lessons, Yuval Noah Harari explores what it means to be human in an age of bewilderment.

How can we protect ourselves from nuclear war, ecological cataclysms and technological disruptions? What can we do about the epidemic of fake news or the threat of terrorism? What should we teach our children?

The world-renowned historian and intellectual Yuval Noah Harari takes us on a thrilling journey through today's most urgent issues. The golden thread running through his exhilarating new book is the challenge of maintaining our collective and individual focus in the face of constant and disorienting change.

Faced with a litany of existential and real crises, are we still capable of understanding the world we have created?

'Fascinating... compelling... [Harari] has teed up a crucial global conversation about how to take on the problems of the 21st century' Bill Gates, New York Times

'Truly mind-expanding... Ultra-topical' Guardian

'21 Lessons is, simply put, a crucial book' Adam Kay

© Yuval Noah Harari 2018 (P) Penguin Audio 2018

 Civilization Future Studies Philosophy Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences Society World Thought-Provoking Middle East Inspiring Capitalism Iran Imperialism Socialism War 21st Century Middle Ages Africa Russia China

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Critic reviews

Truly mind-expanding… Ultra-topical… Harari’s big selling point [is] the ambition and breadth of his work, smashing together unexpected ideas into dazzling observations.
There is surely no one alive who is better at explaining our world than Yuval Noah Harari - he is the lecturer we all wish we’d had at university. Reading this book, I must have interrupted my partner a hundred times to pass on fascinating things I’d just read. Harari has done it again - 21 Lessons is, simply put, a crucial book. (Adam Kay)
Erudite, illuminating, vivid. [Harari’s] lessons suggest new ways of thinking about current problems… a splendid, sobering, stirring call to arms.
Fascinating… compelling… [Harari] has teed up a crucial global conversation about how to take on the problems of the 21st century. (Bill Gates)
The great thinker of our age.
Harari… is a rare voice of calm reassurance, slicing through the chaos and uncertainty of the modern age. (Allan Hunter)
Harari thrills his readers because he addresses the biggest possible topics with confidence and brio. Compared with the subjects he tackles, anything else we might read looks piffling and parochial.
Harari’s genius at weaving together insights from different disciplines, ranging from ancient history to neuroscience to philosophy to artificial intelligence, has enabled him to respond to the clamour to understand where we have come from and where we might be heading… 21 Lessons is lit up by flashes of intellectual adventure and literary verve.
Modern life can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, Yuval Noah Harari's new book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, is on hand to guide us through it. Poolside reading with purpose.
[Harari’s] purpose is to reveal the hard-learned lessons we have all already encountered this century… the persuasiveness of Harari’s philosophical analysis, and the engaging quality of his writing, is hard to deny.
All stars
Most relevant
Recommend to everyone who seeks more true in their lifes. Recommend previous books as well.

Great book, good as the previous ones.

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After listening to Sapiens and Homo Deus, dealing with the past and speculating on the future, I was hoping for a third book that would tackle the present. A great finale to a masterfully written trilogy. Thank you mr. Harari.

Magnificent writing

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This convergence of free thinkers on scientific moral truth and self such as Yuval, Sam Harris, Robin Hanson, Peter Singer, Robert Sapolsky, Metzinger, Steven Pinker and others must collaborate immediately give birth to something more prescriptive in the form of a condensed manual for life that refers to their works to make it small and more digestible. People need guidelines (21 rules for the 21st century would have been better) rather than enumerating problems.

Otherwise the likes of Jordan B Peterson will continue to gain undeserved traction because most people don't have the time to find out he is a closet Atheist (I'm an Atheist) and has his own meaning of truth. Peterson's work can help some people that need a slap from a father figure but it's unscientific even though he claims it is (this is my problem with it) and does not work on every personality type. There are much more enlightened and ethical (honest) people about that should have stepped up by now. Come on Sam do it and why did John Brockman have to retire as it would have made a fine final project.

This should also give birth to a new American or universal political party; but America needs help yesterday. Sanders could have done it but he stubbornly insists on using the word social in the name and no self respecting right leaning person could tell their friends that they voted 'socialist'.

Awesome but more prescriptive next time please.

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As ever, Harari makes bold and thought-provoking statements with great confidence and clarity. But I didn't feel there were any great new insights here beyond those that his first two fabulous books offered. I think he needs to retreat for a while and come back with another big idea. I'm sure he will.

Thought provoking but quite repetitive

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I’ve read all three books in Harari’s series and they’re all wonderful, but it was refreshing to get some direction and personal opinion in this one. I think he’s one of the most important people on the planet, a true visionary.

Prophetic. Genius. And gorgeously written

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