Sapiens – A Brief History of Humankind – By Yuval Noah Harari

Book Review

Sapiens – A Brief History of Humankind – By Yuval Noah Harari

I have heard about Sapiens – A brief history of humankind book from one of the 100 relatives groups in WhatsApp. One of the topics was the evolution of Indian Hinduism.  I was like with handcuffs at the corner yearning to par with the relatives on this difficult subject. The discussion became very interesting with a couple of critical points. No sooner, I spotted a colleague with the same book and learned the good reviews. I decided to wait no more.

Everyone has learned different myths about the evolution of the humankind. This book had a very strong start that makes you grasp faster with verve. It is possible that you could read the 400 pages in one full sweep.  

It is unbelievable to read how the agricultural revolution is considered as history’s biggest fraud.

Agriculture investment is supposed to be the best weapon against hunger and poverty for billions. The author had the strong nerve to explain how small wild grass of wheat manipulated Homo Sapiens to its advantages and how agricultural revolution played a divide and rule for ten thousand years.

This line has stuck in my mind –

“Follow your heart is a double agent that usually takes its instructions from the dominant myths of the day”.

It looks similar to the old Hindu saying how we live in the dreams of Lord Vishnu. Everything happening here is all in the dream of the Lord Almighty.  The book explains how much natural instinct gut we have lost in the last thousand years unlike the animals trusting their natural instinct gut.

The author has surprised the readers with other startling insight that cooperation is based on shared fictions.

That is not yet worst and bewitching topic of the cognitive revolution. The author has come up with a theory about how gossip played an important role in the development as the dominant species on earth.

Gossip theory should be one of the oldest theories evolving the language and staying alive.

The author must have smitten the readers to enjoy the Gossip theory. It looks like a joke but I must say I have started to believe how gossip helps us to stay alive.

I would not recommend the book to strong religious believers. The book is very provoking to change the mindset of science and religion ideologies. The book is for those who are looking for answers.

If you already know the answer from your viewpoint or from the ancestors, then there is no point to waste your time to read this book.

This review is written by Arun Ramakrishnan who is an avid reader. Arun is in IT profession and is a rationalist by nature. He has a very different insight about the worldly world. Occupied by his two daughters ( Pet and a Human) Arun loves to read and write reviews. He also writes blogs on Project Management, Quality Assurance and fundamental tenets of Agile. Here is the link.

https://blogs.perficient.com/author/aramakrishnan/

P.S. I am taking my Alexa rank to the next level with Blogchatter. 

Snehal Joshi
mugdhaaa@gmail.com

Snehal is a Certified Nutrition Coach by National Academy of Sports Medicine. She is writing about her persuits of Nutrition Science since last 4 years.

1 Comment
  • Kalpagam
    Posted at 09:55h, 20 September

    The review does create an expectation about the book and interest to read. Thanks Arun! Look forward to more reviews!