“Consistency is the playground of dull minds”
Work
From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.” One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas. Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become? Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem.
Quotes
Showing 1-5 of 5
Yuval N. Harari
Canonical work source
“Consistency is the playground of dull minds”
“There are no gods, no nations, no money and no human rights, except in our collective imagination.”
“Going further back, have the seventy or so turbulent millennia since the Cognitive Revolution made the world a better place to live? Was the late Neil Armstrong, whose footprint remains inta...”
“Tolerance is not a Sapiens trademark. In modern times, a small diʃerence in skin colour, dialect or religion has been enough to prompt one group of Sapiens to set about exterminating another...”
“Algunas religiones, como el cristianismo y el nazismo, han matado a millones de personas debido a un odio ardiente. El capitalismo ha matado a millones debido a una fría indiferencia ligada...”