In a time of such chaos and dysfunction Yuval Noah Harari’s book, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, truly offers the reader a great sense of peace. The book offers this peace, through its inherent form of perspective.
Sapiens details the evolution and advancement of the homo-sapien, through both a biological and anthropological lens. In intricately binding these two fields of study together, Harari manages to create a book that analyzes the interconnectedness of our species, as opposed to what makes individuals in our species different. Moreover, many of the biological mutations examined in the book mark moments that give our species the very qualities that make us unique and powerful. This offers the perspective that even in moments of disadvantage or loss, greater gains can be achieved if one has the ability to wait and embrace difference and change.
In one chapter, Harari specifically analyzes how our species’ capability to communicate has offered us an advantage over other species, that without this quality of abstract communication and verbal capabilities, our advantage over the animal kingdom is greatly affected. This book offers the reader a sense of all the greatness that has and can be achieved by maturing our communication skills, to further secure and advance cooperation among our species. In a climate that feels so tense and polarizing, this book offers hope, perspective and the best weapon of all, knowledge.
-Justine Mekonen
The Junction Journal 