Through the lens of three revolutions, Sapiens offers a scientific perspective on the development of humanity. The book is introduced by Yuval Noah Harari with the cognitive revolution that took place 70,000 years ago. He then goes on to describe our 12,000-year-old agricultural revolution. He concludes by outlining the 500-year-old scientific revolution. The people we are today and the world we live on are products of these three revolutions.
Since its 2014 release in English, Sapiens has gained enormous popularity. The book is an adaptation of a series of lectures Yuval formerly gave at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The New York Times best-seller list included Sapiens. The book also received the Wenjin Book Award from the National Library of China, given to the finest book released in 2014. One of Bill Gates’ top ten favorite books is Sapiens. 45 different languages have now been able to read the book.
First-Generation Humans
In a region in East Africa, some 2.5 million years ago, humans first emerged. Homo erectus is the creature that most closely resembles contemporary humans. An extinct subspecies of early humans is called Homo Erectus. Homo Erectus changed into several different species of homo after leaving East Africa and migrating to various parts of the globe, including Neanderthalensis in Asia. Modern humans, also known as Homo Sapiens, did not first appear until 300,000 years ago.
Our huge brains are what set Homo Sapiens apart from the other species of the Homo genus. The brain of Homo sapiens also consumes an exceptionally high amount of energy. While other apes typically use 8% of their total energy at rest, the human brain uses 25%.
We used our intellect to build sophisticated social networks and incisive technologies. Based on the lengthy gestation period for infants, Homo Sapiens developed as gregarious creatures. It is possible that Homo Sapiens are equipped for forming close social bonds if a child takes a long time to raise.
The use of fire by Homo sapiens was essential to its survival. In addition to clearing woods, carefully controlled fires were also utilised to cook food. Food that was much simpler to digest was made available to Homo sapiens by fire. Food that is simple to digest is crucial to Homo sapiens’ existence. Long intestines are needed for food that is difficult to digest. Large brains and long intestines, however, are energy guzzlers. As a result, heating food allowed Homo sapiens to shorten their intestines and use the extra energy to increase the size of their brains.
Long before Homo Sapiens appeared, Neanderthals already knew how to use fire, yet they finally went extinct. The two primary hypotheses as to why Homo Sapiens flourished while other Homo Species did not are as follows:
Interbreeding Theory
Other Homo species, such as Homo Neanderthalensis, began to coexist with Homo Sapiens. As a result, the species progressively came into being together. DNA proof is presented to support this theory. Modern Europeans appear to still have Neanderthal DNA in them.
Sapiens does not advertise tolerance. In the modern day, a slight variation in skin tone, dialect, or religion has been sufficient for one group of Sapiens to start the process of eradicating another group. Would the ancestors of modern humans have been more accepting of a completely different human species? It’s possible that the first and largest ethnic cleansing campaign in history was the outcome of the contact between Sapiens and Neanderthals.
According to the hypothesis of species replacement, Homo sapiens drove out other species. Homo sapiens were able to drive other Homo species toward extinction because they possessed greater knowledge and tools. This might have been accomplished by stealing food or using more drastic measures.
It is most likely that both of these happened, according to Yuval. Interbreeding and replacement helped Homo sapiens learn communication and spread across the globe.
Behavioral Revolution
As was already mentioned, the anatomy of Homo Sapiens’ brains gave them a special distinction. Yuval refers to this time as the “cognitive revolution,” when a huge advance in brain evolution had place. According to estimates, this time period started around 70,000 years ago. Communities that were far more developed as a result of the cognitive revolution. Additionally, hunting has evolved to incorporate more sophisticated methods and equipment.
As was to be expected, the emergence of communities and hunting techniques was accompanied by the emergence of the first clear examples of trade networks. Although these trading networks were rudimentary, they allowed more Homo sapiens to obtain food and resources.
The Cognitive Revolution was also marked by a more significant movement by Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens developed snowshoes and warm clothing from skin and hair using their super intelligence. Homo sapiens were able to live in the Arctic and other colder regions of the earth thanks to their garments. Because of this, Homo Sapiens were able to find food and resources in even the toughest conditions, unlike previous Homo Species. Yuval serves as an illustration of how to use these abilities. To live in America, Homo sapiens would have had to endure the subzero temperatures of the Siberian crossing. Because they needed to hunt enormous mammoths for nourishment, they must have learnt to cooperate. Additionally, they developed garments to keep people from freezing to death.
Extinction Has Always Been Encouraged by Homo sapiens
Extinction is a major problem in the modern world. This is not solely a modern occurrence, though. In contrast, the evolution of hunting strategies in Homo sapiens brought about a series of extinctions. Homo sapiens would have lived on the same continent as 20-foot-tall sloths and car-sized armadillos just 50,000 years ago. However, the vast majority of these animals had been driven to extinction within a few thousand years of Homo Sapiens’ existence. Within a few thousand years of Homo sapiens’ arrival in Australia, 23 of the 24 species weighing more than 50 kg became extinct. The animals known as marsupials, which have pouches for bearing young, were unable to adapt to the invasion of humans.
Similar to how in America, Homo sapiens pressure caused Mammoths, Mastodons, and many other native creatures to decline. Everywhere Homo Sapiens have gone, the same tale has been told.
In this book, Yuval details the three major extinctions that have affected the evolution of Homo sapiens. When Homo sapiens were hunter-gatherers and first migrated into new environments, the first wave of extinction took place. When Homo Sapiens began to cultivate crops, there was a second wave of extinction. In order to grow crops, farms used to burn grasslands and woods. The Industrial Revolution represents the third and final wave of extinction.
The 18th century saw the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, which is still ongoing today. Our reliance on the day-night and winter-summer cycles was broken by the development of the steam engine and electricity. Now, we are free to work and create whenever we choose. Electricity has significantly increased production. Electricity’s development fueled consumption. Now that we have the ability to produce so much food, we must adopt an attitude of consumption. Religion has typically promoted austerity throughout history. In the contemporary world, we embrace materialism and promote consuming for its own sake. With excessive consumption, capitalism benefits double. We overindulge in food, alcohol, and tobacco as a society. You are sold the “treatment” for your overconsumption by capitalists in the shape of pharmaceutical businesses, diet fads, and private healthcare.
The Scientific Revolution
A revolution in knowledge has not occurred during the Scientific Revolution. Above all, it has been an ignorant revolution. The major finding that people don’t have all the answers to their most pressing issues was what spurred the Scientific Revolution. All that needed to be learned about the world, according to premodern traditions of knowledge like Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Confucianism, was already known. All-pervasive wisdom was possessed by the great gods, the one all-powerful God, the wise people of the past, and it was disclosed to us in the scriptures and oral traditions. By studying and thoroughly comprehending these antiquated writings and practises, common mortals acquired knowledge.It seemed incomprehensible that the Vedas, the Qur’an, or the Bible were missing out on an important cosmic knowledge that might yet be uncovered by living things.
The revolution that modernised Homo Sapien society was the Scientific Revolution. There had been a time when Homo Sapiens believed in gods. Because we couldn’t control these gods, Homo sapiens frequently acted in a blind manner. All Homo Sapiens, including the so-called “mortals,” were able to advance our grasp of the world thanks to the scientific revolution. Instead of turning to prayer, Homo sapiens began to think about how they could change the world through science.
Huge advances in our understanding of physics, astronomy, and medicine characterise the scientific revolution. The average Homo Sapien’s quality of life in society has significantly improved thanks to our emphasis on exploration and observation.
For instance, there has been a significant decline in child mortality rates. Even the most affluent members of society would experience the loss of two or three children due to early deaths thousands of years ago. Only one child dies from infant mortality for every 1,000 today.
The scientific revolution not only improved human health but also changed how we perceived economies. Through explorers like Columbus, European nations sought to explore uncharted territory. These discoveries promoted colonization and strengthened international ties between nations. More sophisticated forms of payment beyond silver and gold were developed thanks to these interactions. However, it came at the expense of the lives of indigenous people.
The foundations of the capitalist society we live in today are European imperialism and the Scientific Revolution. The scientific method and exploration were employed by European governments to grow their empires and boost their profits. But encouraging a homogenous community was one of its negative effects. At one point, the colonies of the UK encompassed more than half of the globe. As a result, local traditions, cultures, and laws were suppressed. These indigenous nations were compelled to adopt European standards and science. Even though the European empire is long gone, its cultural legacies are still a problem in other nations.
There is still plenty to do.
Even if this is the most peaceful period in human history, we still need to be aware of potential sources of violence. Violence might be exacerbated by climate change and the probable lack of water. Therefore, we must take all necessary measures to stop these catastrophes from happening.
Yuval questions whether human happiness has increased as a result of development and advancements in income, health, and knowledge. Yuval disagrees. Our happiness levels remain rather stable despite the possibility that there may be more brief increases in happiness or unhappiness in the modern environment.
Additionally, although civilizations now may be a little happier than societies in the past, wealth is currently concentrated around a small group of individuals.
Indigenous people, women, and people of colour have been less likely to gain from the advancements we observe in modern society.
Yuval defines happiness as the synchronization of our personal life-meaning delusions with the social life-meaning delusions. As a result, in the present day, seeing commercials makes us unhappy since they raise our subjective expectations.
Sapiens Book Review
“Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari is a comprehensive and engaging exploration of the history of our species. The book covers the entire span of human history, from the emergence of Homo sapiens in Africa to the present day, and covers topics such as the development of agriculture, the rise of civilization, the Industrial Revolution, and the scientific and technological advancements of the modern era.
One of the book’s strengths is its interdisciplinary approach, drawing from fields such as biology, history, economics, and philosophy to provide a holistic view of human development. Harari also raises important questions about the future of humanity and the potential impact of technology on our species.
Many readers appreciate the book’s accessible writing style, its thought-provoking ideas, and its ability to provide a new perspective on familiar topics. The book has been praised for its ability to synthesize vast amounts of information into a cohesive and readable narrative.
Overall, “Sapiens” is an informative and enjoyable read for anyone interested in the history and future of our species. Whether you’re a historian, an economist, or just a curious reader, this book is sure to provide you with a fresh and insightful perspective on the human story.
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