Sapiens cover art

Sapiens

A Brief History of Humankind

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Sapiens

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

Brought to you by Penguin.

**ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21st CENTURY**

What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens?

One of the world's preeminent historians and thinkers, Yuval Noah Harari challenges everything we know about being human.

Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it: us.

In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we're going.

PRAISE FOR SAPIENS:
'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

'I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who's interested in the history and future of our species' Bill Gates

©2011 Yuval Noah Harari (P)2015 Penguin Audio

 Anthropology Biological Sciences Civilization Evolution Evolution & Genetics Philosophy Science Society World Thought-Provoking Inspiring Funny Suspenseful Scary Africa Capitalism Imperialism Middle Ages Socialism Middle East Social justice Ancient History Latin American Iran

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Critic reviews

I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who’s interested in the history and future of our species
Interesting and provocative… It gives you a sense of how briefly we’ve been on this Earth
Jaw-dropping from the first word to the last… It may be the best book I’ve ever read
Tackles the biggest questions of history and the modern world… Written in unforgettably vivid language
Startling... It changes the way you look at the world
Sapiens is a starburst of a book, as enjoyable as it is stimulating
One of the best books I’ve read recently… Gives an excellent overview of how our species has developed
Sweeps the cobwebs out of your brain… Radiates power and clarity, making the world strange and new
Sapiens is packed with heretical thinking and surprising facts. This riveting, myth-busting book cannot be summarised in any detail; you will simply have to read it (John Gray)
Here is a simple reason why Sapiens has risen explosively to the ranks of an international best-seller. It tackles the biggest questions of history and of the modern world, and it is written in unforgettably vivid language. You will love it! (Jared Diamond)
All stars
Most relevant
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.

Thought provoking but overconfident

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

Thought provoking but light on facts, heavy on opinions

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A fascinating read about the human story to date. I really enjoyed the way Harari takes ideas back to basic principles and then applies reason on top. He is clearly a man who thinks for himself so there is a lot of original ideas contained within the book. He also doesn't take too many liberties where stating what we do and don't know about human history which is always refreshing. To top it all off it is a great performance by the narrator.

Well balanced and original

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Loved it! The last third wasn't as interesting to me as the first 2/3 and some of the opinions expressed have been criticised. But some interpretation of the facts is required to add interest and to weave a story, so this is fine by me.
If you have any doubts, listen to the opening lines.

One of the great introductions to any book

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So much information!! Mind boggling and humbling... Best history lesson I have ever had. Answers so many questions and brings up even more

Epic!

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