Harari, Yuval N. author. (2015). Sapiens: a brief history of humankind.

New York:
Harper. pp. x, 498. ₱1,099.00 (Paperback). ISBN: 9780099590088.

Reviewed by:
John Willy M. Diola
University of Mindanao
[email protected]

What is it to be human? In an incredible summary of human history over two million

years, Dr. Yuval Noah Harari uses both scientific research and the humanities to shed
light on the question of what it means to be human. Anthropologists believe that
humanity produced language thousands of years ago. Perhaps something realistic like
"Hyenas are attacking!" or "Careful! A lion!" was the first spoken word. Furthermore,
even how did we get on here? The human being, or culture, has contemplated its
being since our origins as a conglomerate of narcissists. In this book, three significant
developments have influenced human history; over the last 70,000 years, human life
spans have been changed dramatically by a couple of distinct revolutions: the
Cognitive Revolution, which improved human cognition, and the Agricultural
Revolution, which provided 10,000 years of food, and the Scientific Revolution, which
revolutionized human life (500 years ago). The human imagination has accomplished
something that has never happened before in the history of life on Earth. It has created
and created things around that do not occur in nature (religion, politics, and
capitalism). These "myths" have enabled humans to dominate the planet and to place
natural selection on the brink of extinction.

Professor Yuval Noah Harari was born in 1976 in Lebanon to an Israeli parent. He
obtained a doctorate from Oxford University in 2002 and is a World History and Military
History professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In his book, Sapiens Dr. Yuval
Harari discusses how history has influenced our society, the species and the plants
around us, and our identities, using the perspectives from biology, anthropology,
paleontology, and economy. Upon reading the book, I have understood how Professor
Harari conveys the text that only war and destruction have been brought upon by
humans throughout the Earth's history. The challenges that arise due to global
warming and deforestation function as proof of humankind's disruptive impacts on the
environment. When he wrote this book, he would have probably wanted us to be
cautious of our actions to undo the destruction the world continues to endure.

While reading the book, there is something that caught my attention. First, Dr. Harari
observes that some other human beings or species coexisted alongside us, but we
alone still exist today. The "cognitive revolution" took place as Homo habilis,
Neanderthals, and Homo erectus disappeared in the same period. In this period,
several things happened, but our most significant adjustment was to gossip and use
language (spoken and written) to talk with each other and make comparisons on a
wide scale. On a larger scale, our imaginative powers helped us form connections that
other organisms showed no signs on a comparable scale. The combination of these
two features (spoken and written) created and expanded us connections, allowed us
to control our energy better, and served to assemble even greater groups, and brought
us much more together, enabled us to better coordinate, and encouraged us to make
stuff happen, and allowed us to recognize small details about each other species, as
obstacles or advantages. Due to a rapid food chain transition in our species. Sapiens
feels seating at the peak of the mountain. Moreover, we are all quite confused about
the shift in our fortune. The concept of gossip theory is what distinguishes Sapiens
from others. As a result, human beings are the ones who develop myths, with the use
of the imagination and language to create and fabricate new realities. Sapiens thrives
on common myths that allow us to collaborate, unite, and conquer the universe. There
is no unity or bonding without myths as a species, and we're at least partly responsible
for the memory of humankind. Dr. Harari calls the Cognitive Revolution the genetic
mutation that caused the cognitive forces of speech and creativity to evolve some
70,000 years ago.

Second, around 12,000 years ago, the Agricultural Revolution was the Sapiens'
second major revolution in history. Enabling agricultural development and exponential
population rise caused them to face challenging times. For Harari, the Agricultural
Revolution was history's biggest fraud. So, what did agriculture ever do for us
precisely? Harari asserts that the agricultural revolution prevented farmers from
relishing their former activities (from hunting-gathering to farming). He said that it
rendered things worse for humans by making farming laborious and fieldwork a must
and pushing them to settle with their farms, resulting in harming their joints and spines
and various diseases. Moreover, agriculture produced a massive surplus; it did not
offer the farmer a healthier lifestyle but robbed them of food hunter-variety gatherers.
Farming has failed to guarantee the food supply and economic security. The
uncertainty of their crops is always in danger and might bring food shortages. While
people from hunting and gathering can still hunt, food will still relocate where there is
still enough food to avoid starvation. Their lives revolved around food because they
never had a stable supply and searched and looked for more to eat. In contrast, I
would argue that the Agricultural revolution has given us a consistent and stable food
stream, and for the first time, has given humans an ability to focus on daily life. If it had
not been for the agricultural revolution, humans would have never had the time to
innovate. Food surplus provided further mental flexibility, which led to the
advancement of agriculture, providing more thought and innovations. An enormous
abundance of food and a new lifestyle made it possible for specialization.

Lastly, 500 years ago, the Scientific Revolution began, probably the final revolution of
human history. The Scientific Revolution has allowed Sapiens to reinvent their world
and themselves by scientific research and technical invention, granting them
superhuman abilities. In the Scientific Revaluation, mythical stories were replaced by
false ideas, certainties were replaced by incertitude, and conservatism was replaced
by interest. Dr. Harari distinguishes clearly between natural and human fiction. There
is little 'scientific' in the real universe that humans have created, and if humans die, it
is will also vanish. We are still adapting and redefining science to meet the ever-
changing needs of the people and events. We have existed without it for thousands
and thousands of years, our territory, construct and rebuild civilizations, and dominate
the animal planet. One of the most significant events of humans was the discovery of
science. Through science and technology, they can create a new life, adapt their own,
and gain knowledge.

In general, Dr. Yuval Noah Harari's book "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind"
contains accurate knowledge and is supported by facts. Furthermore, he studies and
reports on human evolution throughout history. He also argues that language and
agriculture have become strong facilitators of human growth and development, with
the latter thought to have given rise to agriculture. Through this, it is clear that the book
follows that the attempt made in it is to enlighten and educate readers, which is
admirable. However, he criticizes humans, as he pines for the Stone Age, a period
where the human experience was simple than today, and the environment was less
damaged. His thoughts and emotions about the world are justifiable, as seen from the
perspective of environmental devastation. It reveals that he is worried about
humankind's modern beliefs and traditions going back to the Stone Age. Until countries
take precautions to preserve the atmosphere, the Stone Age could be glamorous in
an irreversibly destroyed world. Dr. Harari could not control his feelings of disapproval
towards humankind. In his portrayal of modern humans, we can see that he is agitated
in their hearts; humans are hunters and gatherers. Uncontrolled use of natural
resources demonstrates humans are mere scavengers. When it comes to insults, Dr.
Harari's remarks are simply means to stir us to action.

In conclusion, the arguments raised by Dr. Harari lead me to the conclusion that
modern human beings are miserable, and their ancestors were probably much
happier. This conclusion is also audacious and leads readers to hesitate and consider
whether it is almost difficult for people to achieve peace in modernity. However, Dr.
Harari's interpretation of human experience may claim to be imprecise. Humans have
done amazing things to improve and foster the overall well-being of the individuals
who reside on Earth, while mental illnesses, including depression, and becoming more
prevalent. Dr. Yuval Noh Harari's book is not suitable for those who think humanity is
flawless. This book suits enlightened people who think that the human race is
dysfunctional and in desperate need of restoration. Dr. Harari covers some of the
most unaddressed issues in depth. He provides a thorough analysis of civilization's
evolution and the precarious equilibrium between home protection and economic
development that humanity must accomplish. To reduce the number of spoilers in this
review, I'll only say that you can read it if you want to learn more about humankind and
come closer to accepting its peculiar ways and position in the universe.