Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (Book Review)

A 2014 Sunday Times best-seller, Sapiens tells the story of evolution in a brand new way. Adapted into a story cum report format, Harari presents his version of the history of humankind using results of scientific research and speculative theories. He thus divides the whole of human evolution into three main revolutions: The Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution and the Scientific Revolution.

At the time of the Homo Sapiens there lived five other human species: the Neanderthals, the Homo Erectus, the Homo ergaster, the Homo denisova and Homo rudolfensis. We, Homo Sapiens, lived together in Africa while the other species were scattered across the world. Our failure in the first attempt to invade Europe ignited the Cognitive Revolution. It leads us to become thinking people who could organize ourselves into large groups. Thus, we could form small societies that were united by belief and culture. Once we had accomplished organization, we were able to overthrow the Neanderthals in Europe and literally wipe them off the face of the Earth. This is similar to the strategies that we used to conquer the other parts of the world. We went on all over the world, living the life of foragers and hunting down animals when we felt hungry. Life seemed so comfortable for us till the dawn of the Agricultural Revolution that changed our whole mindset and our view towards life.

However, over the course of time our forager ancestors realized what the benefits of agriculture were. Through agriculture betrayed us, we were forced to live this lifestyle as the mistake could not be undone. Despite its minor setbacks, the Agricultural Revolution also had its positive points. The organization that helped us conquer the world deepened and thus cities and kingships originated. Moreover, the “settling down” mentality helped our ancestors invent money and the trading system which we find impossible to live without in today’s era. As we had undergone the Agricultural Revolution, we began to develop a society-oriented mindset rather than a soloist mindset. Suddenly, rearing animals became more vital than killing them. This was further confirmed with the various beliefs and traditions that encouraged us to save the animals life. But, even while doing so we continued to destroy the lives of the farm animals in a subtle way because of our selfish desires.

As time went on, the Sapiens began fighting among them in order to show who the better leader was. This went on till about the late 17^th century when the Scientific Revolution began. This changed the way we looked at life itself. It shaped our minds to think differently while also giving rise to capitalism. The beginning of colonization and the reasons for the decline of the monarchical system are found in the Scientific Revolution. However, this revolution hasn’t ended yet. It has grown to such an extent that it puts us on the verge of extinction. Our species may eradicate itself giving rise to a new species that would either be bionic or cyborg in nature. The question is: “What are we doing about it?”

Yuval Noah Harari has really presented an eye-opening account of the history of humankind. Taking an absolutely neutral stand on everything, he critically evaluates the whole of history. He isn’t afraid to speak forth his ideas which seem shocking at times. He reflects on the past, connects it to the present while braving the controversial issues that we may be afraid of. It is a book worth reading though one need not get fully influenced by it. It is a book that is willing to broaden our horizons to the various issues in the world.