Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind is a historical book by Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari. It was published in Hebrew in 2011 by Dvir Publishing House. The book was later translated into English in 2014 and released by Random House and Harper. It was followed by Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. Based on Harari's lectures, Sapiens explores the evolution of Homo sapiens from the Stone Age to the modern age.
Harari dissects human history into four parts: the cognitive revolution, the agrarian revolution, the political revolution, and the scientific revolution. During the Cognitive Revolution, Homo sapiens began to exhibit nuances of mental activity. They started to reason and have more control over their actions. In the Agrarian Revolution, Homo sapiens began to set aside land for cultivating crops. The Political Revolution saw the consolidation of power through the formation of political banners and the birth of nations. The Scientific Revolution, which is by far the most advanced, introduced humanity to great medical and technological advancements.
Homo sapiens have come to dominate the world through their imagination and ability to mobilize under a common agenda. Humans have transformed the face of the earth in such a short amount of time than any other known species. The power of imagination has created religion, countries, and immense wealth. Harari argues that greed and curiosity have largely been the biggest drivers of this rapid growth. Greed for wealth and dominance has destroyed and recreated civilizations for hundreds of years. Likewise, the itching desire to find answers to the universe has birthed great technological discoveries.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind has been translated into more than 60 languages, making it one of the best-selling books in history. It won the 2014 National Library of China's Wenjin Book Award. Critics have described the book as provocative and phenomenal. World-renowned magnates have highly recommended the book.
