A Brief History of Humankind

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari is a sweeping, interdisciplinary exploration of the history of the human species—from the dawn of the Stone Age to the complexities of the 21st century. Through a compelling blend of natural sciences and social sciences, Harari investigates how Homo sapiens rose to dominate the planet, outlasting other human species and reshaping the Earth in the process.

The book is structured around three major revolutions that shaped human history:

1. The Cognitive Revolution (~70,000 years ago) – when humans began to use language, imagination, and shared myths to cooperate in large numbers.

2. The Agricultural Revolution (~10,000 years ago) – when hunter-gatherers transitioned to farming, giving rise to cities, kingdoms, and inequality.

3. The Scientific Revolution (~500 years ago) – when humans began to seek knowledge and power through empirical discovery, leading to unprecedented technological, social, and economic change.

Harari dives into the development of religion, capitalism, empire, and modern science—offering controversial and thought-provoking insights about how these forces shaped our values, identities, and societies. With clarity, wit, and rigor, he challenges traditional narratives, asking deep questions about human happiness, free will, and the future of our species.

An international bestseller translated into dozens of languages, Sapiens is a thought-provoking, accessible account of who we are, where we came from, and where we might be headed.