“You could never convince a monkey to give you a banana by promising him limitless bananas after death in monkey heaven.” – Yuval Noah Harari in Sapiens.

“What will happen to society, politics and daily life when non-conscious but highly intelligent algorithms know us better than we know ourselves?” – Yuval Noah Harari in Homo Deus.

“Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” and “Home Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow” by Yuval Noah Harari are fascinating and thought-provoking books.

While Sapiens takes readers through the history of our species, from the emergence of Homo sapiens in Africa to the present day; in Homo Deus, Harari examines the history of human civilization and its evolution, and provides a compelling argument for what the future holds for humanity.

Harari’s writing style is engaging and accessible, making complex ideas and concepts easy to understand. Sapiens is divided into four parts: “The Cognitive Revolution”, “The Agricultural Revolution”, “The Unification of Humankind”, and “The Scientific Revolution”.

In each part, Harari talks about the major milestones in the history of our species, like the development of language, the invention of agriculture, the rise of empires, and the scientific discoveries that have transformed our understanding of the world.

In his book Sapiens, Harari uses information from a variety of fields, including anthropology, biology, history, and economics, to provide a comprehensive perspective on human history. He challenges conventional wisdom and presents provocative ideas.

In Homo Deus, Harari’s central thesis is that humanity is on the brink of a new era, where we will no longer be defined by our physical limitations, but by our ability to manipulate and control the world around us. He explores the rise of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies that will transform our world in ways that we can never imagine.

Both the books, Sapiens and HomoDeus are good conversation starters for prevalent ideas about humans and our lives have been challenged in both the books. The author also talks of the path ahead for us humans who are considered the smartest among all animals because of our ability to tame other animals and think logically.

Sapiens and Homo Deus are a must read for everyone. You may not agree with all his ideas and theories but the books make for interesting reads.

This post is a part of #BlogchatterAtoZ 2023.