Sapiens: Brief History Of Humankind, A (Patterns Of Life)

Description:
The global phenomenon. The Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller. The New York Times Top Ten Bestseller. Planet Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it. Us. We are the most advanced and most destructive animals ever to have lived. What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens? In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we're going. Sapiens is a thrilling account of humankind's extraordinary history - from the Stone Age to the Silicon Age - and our journey from insignificant apes to rulers of the world. "It tackles the biggest questions of history and of the modern world, and it is written in unforgettably vivid language. You will love it!". (Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs and Steel). Yuval's follow up to Sapiens, Homo Deus, is available now.

Review:
"Sapiens is packed with heretical thinking and surprising facts. This riveting, myth-busting book cannot be summarised in any detail; you will simply have to read it" -- John Gray Financial Times "Here is a simple reason why Sapiens has risen explosively to the ranks of an international best-seller. It tackles the biggest questions of history and of the modern world, and it is written in unforgettably vivid language. You will love it!" -- Jared Diamond "What's unique about Harari's take is that he focuses on the power of stories and myths to bring people together... I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a fun, engaging look at early human history... Harari tells our history in such an approachable way that you'll have a hard time putting it down" -- Bill Gates "What makes it so interesting and provocative is that because it's such a condensed sweeping history it talks about some core things that have allowed us to build this extraordinary civilisation that we take for granted, but weren't a given, and it gives you a sense of perspective in how briefly we've been on this Earth" -- Barack Obama CNN "Sapiens is the sort of book that sweeps the cobwebs out of your brain. Its author, Yuval Noah Harari, is a young Israeli academic and an intellectual acrobat whose logical leaps have you gasping with admiration...Harari's writing radiates power and clarity, making the world strange and new" -- John Carey The Sunday Times "Sapiens is a starburst of a book, as enjoyable as it is stimulating" Sunday Express "A rare book...thrilling and breathtaking" Observer "Harari is able to be as refreshingly clear in his discussions of biology, of evolutionary anthropology and of economics as he is of historical trends... Stick with him and you learn a lot" Daily Telegraph "Reading it is like having a mental massage, cold shower and brisk workout, and all in the comfort of your own home" -- Esther Rantzen Mail on Sunday "Full of shocking and wondrous stories" Sunday Times "Consistently engaging...Harari writes prose that leaps from the page. His broad sweep, collating philosophy, science, history and economics, creates moments of eyebrow-raising revelation for a reader from any background" New Statesman "Sapiens is a fast-paced, witty and challenging romp through 70,000 years of human history...I did love it, and if you are interested in the whole story of humankind, I'm confident that you will love it too" Literary Review "Provocative and fascinating and opinionated...it makes the familiar seem unfamiliar. It altered how I view our species and our world." -- Mohsin Hamid Guardian "Harari delivers a boldly synthesized account of Homo sapiens' rise through the hominin ranks...A view of our ascent as nasty, brutish, long - and endlessly fascinating" Nature "Harari can write. Not in the sense that most authors can...But really, really write, with wit, clarity, elegance and a wonderful eye for metaphor" The Times "Provocative, thrilling erudite... One of the year's most talked-about books" Metro "Its breadth is startling... It changes the way you look at the world and few books tick that box." -- Simon Mayo Daily Express "Probably the most ambitious history book of the year. Certainly the most thought-provoking" -- Dan Jones Evening Standard - Books of the Year "As a writer, Harari is superbly clear. He's also a formidable polymath and a wonderfully elegant thinker... He is a brilliant analyst with a storyteller's gift" -- William Leith Evening Standard

Prizes: Shortlisted for Society of Biology Book Awards: General Biology Book 2015.

Author Biography:
Dr Yuval Noah Harari has a PhD in History from the University of Oxford and now lectures at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, specialising in World History. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, published in 2014, has become an international phenomenon and is published in nearly 40 languages worldwide. It was in the Sunday Times bestseller list for over six months in paperback, and was a New York Times top ten bestseller.