Sapiens

I don't say this often, but... everyone should read this book. Sapiens offers a rare chance to step outside of your life and look at the big picture, while being throughly entertained by some brilliantly clear and compelling writing.

From cave men to artificial intelligence, Harari covers where humans come from, what we've done, why we've done it and what we might do next. It's highly readable, incredibly succinct considering the scope and certainly never dull.

In tracking human progress, from hunter-gatherers 'of no signifiance' to the atomic bomb and the internet, Harai is particularly adept at identifying and exploring the ideas, myths and beliefs that have made it all possible. He explores big concepts with breezy simplicity - gender, money, writing, empire, religion, science and ideology - explaining how they came about and how they have influenced the development of human societies.

This is all illustrated with fascinating detail, zooming into relatable events in order to reflect wider trends. In this way Harari navigates the complexity of human history, while retaining his expansive perspective. He also manages to challenge over-simplified or distorted interpretations of events - albeit with a light touch relative to more academic texts.

While largely balanced, there is a welcome polemic element to his writing too. Harai often returns to man made environmental change and animal welfare in order to raise questions about the impact of mankind beyond the mirrored walls of of human culture. He also identifies a number of traits which appear to have shaped his own worldview. These include the importance of imagination in the organisation of human society, a fascination for our individual capacity to hold contradictory beliefs at the same time, and a longitudinal trend towards an ever closer integration of the world population.

It is the author's ability to frame big questions within the broad sweep of human history in such an accessible and entertaining way that make this book so good. I can honestly say that it has changed my way of thinking.