Have you ever wondered why human beings are considered a ‘superior’ organism of all living species? Or did it ever occur to you where do the ideas of religion, politics, money or nation come from?
The Israeli historian, Yuval Noah Harari has done a remarkable attempt to answers such questions through his book ‘Sapiens- A Brief History of Humankind’. A history of how ‘Sapiens’ made their mark on the earth.
It is a thought-provoking novel that takes the reader on a journey of historical facts, beliefs, anecdotes and notions that have shaped the world of humans today. The word ‘Sapiens’ means wise and indeed, the human of 21st century is smart, dexterous, and delusional. The kind of genus that either believes in supernatural forces such as gods and magic or in the language of trade and business-described as imagined realties by the author.
The novel is divided into three themes that sapiens underwent- Cognitive
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One would say yes, but here too Harari has a different stance on it.
For him, the distinction between modern human and hunter forager is attributed to agriculture, which he considers not a boon but a curse for humans.
After reading the novel, I must agree that Harari has the talent to persuade his readers with his point of views.
Like his emphasis that the only domestication of the plant has been wheat and that “wheat housed Homo sapiens rather than vice versa”. And how the growing of wheat brought about a “plethora of ailments”. In a way, farming societies underwent starvation, violence and the increasing population. In contrast, he hails the living approach and the diet of hunter foragers. However, I can’t seem to comprehend how the society would have evolved if we had remained foragers or what could have been an alternative to agriculture. Agriculture was an invention- a natural way of availing food as well as a leading path to building