“A meaningful life can be extremely satisfying even in the midst of hardship, whereas a meaningless life is a terrible ordeal no matter how comfortable it is.”
“A meaningful life can be extremely satisfying even in the midst of hardship, whereas a meaningless life is a terrible ordeal no matter how comfortable it is.”
What made it possible for Homo sapiens to subdue the other species? What makes us capable of the most beautiful works of art, the most unimaginable scientific breakthroughs, and the most horrifying wars? In a relatively short span of 300,000 years, Homo sapiens went from being just one of the many human species that inhabited the Earth to become the most dominant species on this planet.
The story of how this transition came about and how it led us to the completely interconnected world we have today is the subject of Sapiens – A Brief History of Humanity by Yuval Noah Harari.
Formally, the book is divided into 4 basic parts and 20 chapters. What is particularly striking here is the subdivision into three revolutions, unfortunately not usually addressed or taught. Harari divides his narrative into three events, which he considers milestones for the advancement of the human species. It begins with the cognitive revolution, the starting point for man's existence, and goes through the agricultural revolution and scientific revolution, which now calls into question the existence of humanity as we know it.
The first part looks at the cognitive revolution (68,000 BC), which mainly relates to the emergence of Homo sapiens and the evolutionary differences between our species and the other now-extinct human species. The unique 'fictitious' language of Homo sapiens is cited as the main attribute that distinguishes us from other animal and human species.
The second part deals with the agricultural revolution that took place around 12,000 years ago. After two and a half million years as hunters and gatherers in this revolution, humans began to interfere with natural processes.
In the third part, Harari tells us how people around the world have united. Therefore, the three reasons for the unification are invented myths: the world empires, money, and religions.
Finally, the last part of the book describes the scientific revolution that started about 500 years ago and, in some ways, is still going on. It represents the rise of science due to insight into ignorance. The direct connection between scientific progress and power is remarkable here. In this part, Harari also addresses modern capitalism, and in doing so, he contrasts both the successes and the downsides of capitalism.
Sapiens is a really good book that is definitely worth reading. A book in which history is told differently, which does not look at it as a simple series of events, analyzes causes and effects, observes trends, and brings both information and observations essential to understand its course. Those who have always thought that history is boring, and those who have always wondered where we came from and where we are going, should read this book.
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