I am finally back after a 3-month hiatus, and what better way to start than to do a book review? If you can’t tell by now, reading is definitely one of my favourite past-time(unfortunately, I don’t read as much as I used to..). It doesn’t really matter whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, if it’s a good book, I’ll happily read it.
And I recently came across one such book. I’m sure you have heard of this book, and some of you have probably read it. I admit, I am late to the party. I wish I had found this sooner, because boy, did this book blow my mind.
(I should have gotten this on Amazon where it was 100yen cheaper, but oh well)
I am so glad I read this book. This is one of those rare books that change how you see the world in a deep, fundamental manner and makes you ask questions about everything around you.
The narrative of the book starts all the way from the Cognitive Revolution that started 70,000 years ago and up to our current modern era. If you do not believe in the Theory of Evolution, some parts of the book that talk about the biological evolution of animals might be a bit hard to swallow. There’s absolutely no need to convert to Darwinism to enjoy the book though, there are plenty other stories of humankind history that is no less mind-captivating.
Yuval Noah Hariri is such a gifted writer, he lays out his arguments in a clear and easy-to-understand manner, backed with scientific evidence. He is also not afraid to challenge the status quo, such as the misconception(maybe?) that we collectively are happier than our ancestors thousand years back. Controversy also does not scare him as he also touches on the very sensitive issue of ethics in genetic engineering, cyborg engineering and what have you.
Whatever I say will not give enough justice to this book, and I would simply recommend you to just go to your nearest bookshop and get a copy.(No, I’m not paid to advertise – I wish I was though). Right after I finished this book, I went to Amazon straight away and ordered the sequel – Homo Deus. It’s arriving tomorrow and I’m so excited!
So, have you read this phenomenal book yet? If you have, let me know your thoughts and opinions in the comment section.
Sabrina.
sabrina zuraimi 