This book is one of those "big history" books where the author attempts to explain all of human history -- anthropology, sociology, pop psychology and pop economics -- through the objective lens of his own narrow perspective. Frankly, I'm not sure why I kept listening in the hopes that he would uncover something novel or interesting. I had intended to borrow the e-book to do a re-read but there are plenty of critical reviews out there of this book.
An excellent critical review here: SAPIENS BY YUVAL NOAH HARARI: A BRIEF JUSTIFICATION FOR CHAUVINISM
There's nothing new or groundbreaking in this book except that the author could manage to slide in so many sly, sexist references. His treatment is hardly objective -- he repeatedly inserts sexist, racist and biological deterministic comments that had me laughing out loud. This book gets such rave reviews - why? (See also: The Dangerous Populist Science of Yuval Noah Harari)
He's a good story teller - but he does drone on and on -- sneaking in many biased statements and utter nonsense as "factual." He even weaves in his own Western appropriation of Eastern spirituality in ways that seem to justify and excuse injustice throughout human history. For example:
"suffering is not caused by ill fortune, social injustice or divine whims. Rather, suffering is caused by the behavior patterns of one's own mind."
I did a bit of research and he's practices meditation -- but it's really the racism and chauvinism that get me:
"In 1880, the Chinese empire did not operate a single railroad." Why? "they lacked the values, myths, judicial apparatus, and sociopolitical structures that took centuries to form and mature in the West and which could not be copied and internalized rapidly. France and the United States quickly followed in Britain's footsteps because the French and Americans already shared the most important British myths and social structures. The Chinese and Persians could not catch up as quickly because they thought and organized their societies differently."
He claims that "This explanation sheds new light" on the mid-to-late 19th century because there were no tangible advantages in the West or other explanations for their increased rate of industrialization. Huh, ya don't say?
He repeatedly talks about "feminism" as an ideology and in several repeated rants about the woes of individualism, he implies the negative consequences of women being able to vote, have checking accounts, divorce abusive husbands or choose not to marry at all.
In more than one way - he makes it clear that he identifies with the successful, monied classes. This line was so laughable I bookmarked it: "A government may impose heavy taxation on industrialists and use the money to give lavish unemployment benefits which are popular with voters." Clearly, he doesn't understand how unemployment benefits work (ie, workers pay toward this fund) and his definition of "lavish" may need some examination. Here in California, the maximum unemployment benefit is $450/week which is hardly a cause for celebration much less paying one's rent.
Finally, he wraps up his conclusion with a dystopian prediction of a future occupied by cyborgs who have their feelings managed, and yea, even experience feelings we cannot imagine. It's all a very "Gattaca" + "Blade Runner" + "The Fifth Element" kind of future and I had to rewind through the conclusions because it had me hooting and giggling so much. YMMV.
Stick with Thomas Piketty's "Brief History of Inequality."
REVIEW: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
RATING: 1-star
© Jennifer R Clark. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You may share and adapt this content with proper attribution.
