Official U.S. edition with full color illustrations throughout.
New York Times Bestseller
A Summer Reading Pick for President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Mark
Zuckerberg
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.
