Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Official U.S. edition with full color illustrations throughout.

From renowned historian Yuval Noah Harari comes a landmark work of big history, 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 Cognitive Revolution and the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the story of human evolution 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 in the wake of the Scientific Revolution, 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.

This ambitious account of our species answers the most fundamental questions of our history:

• A Brief History of Humankind: How did an insignificant ape become the ruler of the planet, capable of splitting the atom, walking on the Moon, and engineering the code of life?
• The Power of Myth: Discover the secret of our success—the unique ability to believe in collective fictions like gods, nations, money, and human rights that allow for large-scale cooperation.
• Integrating History and Science: Journey through the Cognitive, Agricultural, and Scientific Revolutions and explore how they shaped not just our societies, but our very identities.
• The Question of Happiness: With all our power and knowledge, are we any happier than our ancient ancestors? Harari challenges everything we think we know about what it means to be human.