Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Yuval Noah Harari

Apr 2015 · Vintage Digital · Narrated by Derek Perkins

4.6

363 reviews

Audiobook

15 hr 18 min

Unabridged

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About this audiobook

Brought to you by Penguin.

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 audiobook, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we're going.

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

'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

'It altered how I view our species and our world' Guardian

'Startling... It changes the way you look at the world' Simon Mayo

'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

Ratings and reviews

4.6

363 reviews

Ben NEWBOLT

July 25, 2018

Amongst the many attempts to chronicle human history this stands out as an accessible and engaging account. Harari's focus on key revolutions (cognitive, agricultural, industrial, scientific) provides markers with which he uses to navigate our journey. The pacing is excellent. The content will challenge your preconceptions. I found his take on the agricultural revolution incredibly interesting. Whilst some assertions may be seen as controversial, he also lays out alternative hypotheses. He mixes this with elements of biology, sociology, politics,anthropology and psychology with a dash of philosophy that really make you stop and think for a moment. Fantastic.

134 people found this review helpful

Tim John

November 23, 2019

Initially interesting, the author presents some intriguing ideas, but then begins adding a smattering of non scientifically supported nonsensical speculation as fact. Upon reaching about one third of the way through, the book then launches into a full blown unbearable politically correct rant. The book is then revealed for what it is, a piece of leftist political propaganda posing as scientific literature. Utter garbage.

48 people found this review helpful

acxez knightNite

March 18, 2019

Amazing and thought-provoking. This is a masterpiece. Each progression through the stages of humankind was a revelation on how we got here, how much we don’t (and never will) know, and a realisation that even the simplest things in our daily lives, such as money, have a history steeped in complexity. It was enthralling to read and I will most certainly read again.

15 people found this review helpful

About the author

Dr Yuval Noah Harari has a PhD in History from the University of Oxford and now lectures at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, specialising in World History. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind has become an international phenomenon attracting a legion of fans from Bill Gates and Barack Obama to Chris Evans and Jarvis Cocker, and is published in over 45 languages worldwide. It was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller and was in the Top Ten for over nine months in paperback. His follow-up to Sapiens, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow was also a Top Ten Bestseller and was described by the Guardian as ‘even more readable, even more important, than his excellent Sapiens’.

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