Sapiens

I was surprised by the number of subjects addressed in this book. The author does a great job of taking us on a journey through the history of Humankind, while staying captivating.

The (success)story of homo sapiens as told by Yuval Noah Harari really puts our existence into perspective. Among others, especially the reason behind said success-story (i.e., our unique ability to collectively believe in fictions) was quite mind blowing. Harari is a fantastic historian and an even better storyteller.

This is an amazing book, especially the first half. Intriguing, funny, and changed my whole worldview! If I could, I would make every single person read this; i think the world would become a better place.

Das Buch hat meine Perspektive der Welt und unserer westländische Kultur total verändert. Früher habe ich mich selber vieles gefragt, heute weiss ich dass wenigstens ich nicht alleine bin.

I have come to expect a certain level of data and thorough, insightful analysis by books in this genre. These are pointedly lacking in Sapiens, and it is difficult to decipher if this book is truly based on research or if this is simply a largely fabricated narrative that the author wants to project on his readers. The works of authors like Jared Diamond and Niall Ferguson are far more impressive in my experience.