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Sapiens
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Our species has only roamed the Earth for 200,000 years — but in that time, we’ve done more to change the face of the planet than any other creature in existence. In his provocative best-selling work Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari takes listeners on a journey through the history of mankind, from the Stone Age to today.
Over the course of this un-pausable audiobook, Harari examines how each generation of humanity left its mark on the planet - and how we’re still changing our world as each day passes.
Audie Award-winning English voice actor Derek Perkins skilfully navigates this thorough, research-driven work, setting the perfect tone for this riveting audiobook with his deep, intellectual delivery.
To put it simply in the words of one listener: 'Prepare to have your mind blown'.
Publisher's Summary
Fire gave us power. Farming made us hungry for more. Money gave us purpose. Science made us deadly.
Brought to you by Penguin and read by Derek Perkins, this is the thrilling account of our extraordinary history – from insignificant apes to rulers of the world.
Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it: us.
In this bold and provocative audiobook, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we’re going.
Critic Reviews
More from the same
What listeners say about Sapiens
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Musheer khan
- 23-08-19
Life will be the same
Do yourself a favour and read/listen to this book, it will open your mind and eyes like nothing has ever affected to you before. 🙏🏻thank you for this wonderful book
11 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- suresh kumar
- 03-12-18
A must red for those who love books and those who do not....
Every sentence in this book needs to be read and understood carefully. You cannot miss any. Forging briskly through evolution of homosapiens from Chimpanzees and their evolution, it quickly moves to cognitive evolution, agricultural revolution, scientific revolution, industrial revolution, money, nation and politics, imperialism, decolonisation, imerial globe, an exosition on hainess, genetic engineering, bionics, inorganic life and suerhumans ending with how animal turned into man and trying to turn into God. The narration is one of the best I have listened so far. Kudos and salutess to author, narrator and audible.
25 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mozak
- 29-05-19
Insightful
I liked the way author has narrated history. Looking forward to his next book, home deus.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- jignesh rohit
- 01-01-19
A must read (or listen), for every sapien alive.
To know how this world came to be as we see it , the communities, cities, countries, nations, capitalism, religion, extinction of species, and much much more than you would’ve expected or imagined for our world in the past. A must read book, for everyone. Highly recommended by me.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- avijeet
- 02-06-19
This is not a book. This is a knowledge bank.
Surprisingly an awesome read. After listening to chapter 1, i bought the book and read it along with audible audio. Loved everything. Totally loved it. Looking forward to Homo deus & 21 Lessons.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vinay Bapat
- 28-02-20
Very well written and narrated.
Some references may not be accurate now, e.g. the aryan invasion theory which is now getting challenged.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- samir thacker
- 27-05-19
Thought provoking, very well written and detailed
I have never been interested in history. Of any kind, or anything. This book was all about history and I waited to be free enough to hear it each day! Yuval Noah Harari is in a league of his own. Goosebumps, worry, sadness, happiness, excitement of learning something new and worthwhile, anger and many more responses and emotions are invoked by this book. Also, 100% credit for excellent narration too.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sekhar
- 21-04-20
a perspective change
Anyone, who reads/listens to this book, will undergo a metamorphosis and understand how we the homo sapiens came to this very point. Inspiring, awakening and enlightening. Yuval Noah Harari does his best in depicting the 70,000 year history like a film in front of us.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Neha
- 05-09-19
expands the mind in an unimaginable way
amazing ideas and extraordinary insights on how and whys of history. I'll never look at humans.. or our deeds in the same way again. on my way to Homo Deus... best line- "is there anything more dangerous than angry and dissatisfied gods... who don't know what they want"
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Apoorva
- 16-08-19
Finding the roots
I used to get so many questions about how the things are being practiced the way they are practiced today. Reading this book gave a solid base to answer those questions. now I want to explore more and find more answers.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bradley Janse van Rensburg
- 13-06-17
Life changing book
It's hard to clearly articulate how profoundly this book (and it's sequel, Homo Deus) has changed my life. I have a much firmer understanding of the history of our species, the origins of our religions and our belief systems, and our possible futures. Anyone who wants to think deeply about life's important questions and be involved in our destiny should read or listen to this book.
14 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Shyam
- 13-06-17
Brilliant Macrohistory
A sweeping narrative of the history of mankind. The author perches himself in a vantage that summarises millennia of biological and historical evolution. The concept that everything is a product of human imagination was dealt with convincingly. The enquiry into happiness and the role of biochemistry in the evolution of man was valuable. An objective analysis of various forces that have and are shaping the world.
9 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kumoyo
- 28-07-17
A must read!!!!
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Absolutely!! It is extremely well written and narrated. This book summarizes the answers to how we (Sapiens) have arrived at this point in time, ability and culture and goes beyond by asking the questions of where we are headed to, whether by our own devices or through circumstance. I definitely recommend spending a minimum of 15 hours of your time to read every bit of this book, I know I'll be scheduling another 15 to 20 hours for another read (more synoptic) to get into the guts of the matter and read alongside other such works
What was one of the most memorable moments of Sapiens?
There were so many great moments but I'll mention a few:
- The realization that we are probably not as special (when compared to other species) as we might want to believe.
- The realization that while we generally view ourselves as the one and only true humans, there have been other types of humans with their own strengths and quirks
- Our future and the implications of advancements we are making (such as AI, etc)
- A reinforcement of the realization that many things we consciously believe as real are either figments of our imagination or simply our own perspectives based on our beliefs, norms and values as well as the accuracy of our individual & collective apparatus i.e. eyes, ears, nostrils, etc.
What about Derek Perkins’s performance did you like?
A solid performance by Derek Perkins. His narration style was perfect for the content and while I reading I thought he was the author (I think it reminded me of Neil degrasse Tyson's narration of his own book, Astrophysics for people in a hurry, where you could tell that he was more than a master of the content in the book)....his delivery was awesome!
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I was left with many questions with one powerful question being whether the point to life was for the well-being of the individual or for the well-being of the species over time or maybe it's not a zero-sum game but that leads to even more questions than answers
Any additional comments?
Two very minor observations and/or corrections for the author:
- Akhenaten and his adoption of monotheism: I thought the date was more around 1350BC rather than 350BC as narrated in the book (which is rather quite late)
- The insinuation that Ghana (and by extension implying that African states) select dictators as leaders: there is a common misconception that all African states are run by despots. It is true that the systems of government in most African countries are worse than those in Northern and Central Europe (and maybe there is more corruption but I would probably qualify that statement by stating there is more "blantant" corruption in several African states whereas there is more sophisticated corruption in the west and obviously Trump, with his ethical dilemmas, is an exception to this) but many countries like Botswana, Zambia and Ghana have been voting for their leaders in peaceful elections for decades. Unfortunately, the general view presented of Africa is that of the deeply troubled states such as Somalia and Sudan and the success stories are completely ignored. I'm not trying to criticize you (the author) as you are likely just as much a victim of how information about Africa is presented by the media (a mix of fake and real news) but rather that if people like yourself can start to use a different tone and send a different message when talking about Africa, that this could change the attitude of many (including many Africans themselves who are exposed to some of the same fake news) about Africa and its people and facilitate greater cooperation across all sapiens and not just some sapiens.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Lauri
- 20-03-17
One of the best "histories" around
A must read/listen for anyone with a scientific outlook and interest towards history. This book has an exceptionally objective approach towards mankind and its habits, cultures and beliefs. The approach might even offend some people as the book is for example unapologetically atheist
5 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Leo Saumure
- 20-01-16
The subtitle says it all
What did you love best about Sapiens?
I liked that it gave a good foundation of various disciplines when it comes to dealing with humanity: Biology, Sociology, Psychology, History, and even a bit of conjecture.
What did you like best about this story?
I enjoyed the fact that it pretty much covered everything from Darwin's theory of evolution to speculation about where we are heading as a species that can alter our own destiny.
What about Derek Perkins’s performance did you like?
Good reader, and able to convey both the finer points as well as the humour of the book.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vivek
- 07-07-15
A fresh and unique lens to view the world
It has made me re-evaluate almost everything I thought I knew! And it does so in vivid prose, bringing history to life. Highly recommended!
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew Nash
- 13-05-15
Everything we already know, in one story
This book is amazingly easy to follow and enjoyable right through to the end. It has vastly enhanced my big picture view of the world. If you enjoyed it I would also recommend the Coursera free online course. Although maybe, like me, you're here because you're already done that.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ram Anvesh Reddy
- 14-03-17
A modern masterpiece
This is a modern master piece. Succinct, unbiased, extreme coverage of time and space. Just a marvellous read.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Diane Simpson Page
- 20-08-15
Mind blowing
Incredible journey into the past and future of human beings. So much fascinating information and insights. I loved it. Wow.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vetrici Marius
- 23-08-17
A comprehensive book with surprising angles
The book takes you from early development of humankind up to the nowadays scientific breakthrough.
It is full of insights and explains in very simple terms the development of such concepts as money, religion, empiers, science and the linkage between them.
I truly enjoyed this insightful book full of aha moments.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jan W. H. Schnupp
- 24-09-15
Thought provoking but overconfident
I enjoyed this book a great deal, and found many ideas expressed in it quite thought provoking and insightful. In particular, the idea that the apparent drive of our species to form common narratives, stories, concepts, narratives, may have evolved because it facilitates spontaneous, loosely organized but highly effective cooperation among large numbers of individuals was interesting and very compellingly argued.
Nevertheless, the author does have a tendency to present his ideas not so much as interesting ideas that might be true, but as facts. His style is very engaging and persuasive, so you often don't even notice the hidden questionable assumptions, or the fact that, in his wide, sweeping arguments, the author often roams through several disciplines that he can't possibly all be expert in.
Overall a very enjoyable intellectual journey, but to be enjoyed with a healthy dose of skepticism.
279 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Beshr
- 04-08-18
Very interesting, but be careful!
The author does a great job of engaging his audience and stirring up their emotions, hopes, and fears. However, it feels too long and repetitive at some point but still not in a very bad way. My main criticism of it is that the writing is really trying to force the author's opinions into the reader as solid truths and objective facts, and what he says comes off to me as both nihilistic and sadistic. In some instances, I feel like historical events were twisted (while still remaining true) and reinterpreted to fit the author’s perspective and further his cause. But that’s my own judgment. Still, I’d recommend it as a really interesting and engaging book, but I’d warn the reader not to talk everything being said as factual and objective.
66 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- RTx
- 14-07-19
Simplistic nonsense
I really wanted to like this book but ended up disliking it. There are potentially useful insights buried deep in here, which are sufficient to justify an essay, but not a book. The generalisations, paragraphs of silly explanations, interspersed with politically loaded nonsense and assertions about human history without substantiation, make the listening experience tiresome, and have a way of making one doubt the whole narrative's honesty. I gave up, when to explain how money came about, after explaining money is portable, it was explained to me that a farmer had a problem if he wanted to move house as he couldn't take his house and paddy fields with him, that he could exchange them for tons of rice, but even that isn't easily transported. I don't think the tone of the narration helped much either as the narrator seems to have bought into the school teacher ambiance the whole book exudes. It's as if the author thinks the reader/listener is a school pre-starter, and that he is the educator who's so much more intelligent and experienced. It's patronising beyond belief.
16 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- D. Pain
- 18-04-18
Patchy but great in parts
Many parts of this were very interesting but it was overlong, very patchy and i found it more than a bit confusing in approach. Is it history? Objective fact file? Opinionated journalism? The scope is so wide it's hardly surprising that it was over reaching a bit, i guess. There are lots of really interesting things in here but some parts are very familiar, others dwelled on for far too long for no obvious reason, and many suggested links tenuous.
12 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- F Gibb
- 12-05-16
More Manifesto than History
I gave it four stars because I quite liked the things that he was saying, and I agreed with his view of the way the Sapiens species has inflicted itself on the world. But if you are expecting a 'proper' history book- devoid of opinion, and trying to tell things as they happened, but without bias, then this is definitely not for you.
It's an editorial rather than a report.
72 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- P. Stewart
- 17-01-18
Thought provoking but light on facts, heavy on opinions
Worth a listen as a discussion starter. But I would have preferred more research to balance the authors interpretations and opinions Recommended.
49 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- VS
- 11-01-18
Good first 1/3 of book... after that it gets bad
I enjoyed the first 1/3 of the book. After getting two sided and equal accounting of the possible history of man, it seems the writer lost his neutrality. Harry Potter is not a good example of what happens to humans. The use of Harry Potter as a good example of what happens when people find their skills and hone them is what set my alarm bells ringing. At this point, sadly I found the quality of the information sources and neutrality of the discussion went downhill. A simple example is that while stating that you can't measure the success of the human race by the number of offspring, as quality of life is probably adversely affected, the author does not see fit to do the same for women who are, in this book, clearly measured by the standard "have they made it in business" yardstick.
24 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robert
- 27-05-15
Scares the hell out of me
Sapiens is easily one of the most thought provoking books I have ever read. It has caused me to doubt the our whole human endeavour while at the same time made me want to be a better person. loved it.
83 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Karl
- 23-01-18
Opinion stated as fact.
What would have made Sapiens better?
Many advanced concepts (such as the medical basis of depression) elaborated on by the author - who apparently has no knowledge in this area - with laughable inaccuracy and assumptions. Most of the book is opinions stated as facts.The author's personal view on modern life is clearly quite different to others', yet it is stated as fact.
34 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Craig
- 08-07-15
Brilliant!
What did you like most about Sapiens?
Engaging narrative and the themes were spun together very imaginatively.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Sapiens?
The narrator brought the whole to life (for me the quality of narrator makes or breaks the audiobook....i have returned 3 previously that I am sure are great reads but are murdered by a poor narrator)
What about Derek Perkins’s performance did you like?
Engaging, never aggravating...no mean trick!
39 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 30-08-17
Thought-provoking
I found it to be very interesting, challenging some assumptions that I may not have given thought to otherwise. I read plenty of reviews also and found that most negative reviews were based on some form of offence taken to ideas presented in the book. I did not perceive his work as absolute, merely a presentation of possible scenarios and ideas, with a healthy dose of reasoning and explanation.
45 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ivanbreks
- 27-08-16
A must read for anyone who thinks.
Think you know something about anything? Read this and then think again. Harari often states the obvious, but these statements a mind blowing because we've all just taken them for granted, not even being aware that it's something worth thinking about.
22 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Shosh
- 17-05-20
.
It's interesting...but everyone is taking it as the truth about everything despite it being incomplete (as it has to be - there's too much history in the world for one book). That's a problem, when you're talking about neuroscience and psychology, if there's no nuance. It's also incorrect - Tasmanian Aboriginal people still exist, and to say they don't contributes to ongoing damage done by colonisation - damage that the author acknowledges and speaks about and then continues to perpetuate.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Reads while toiling
- 05-10-19
It’s just too smug
There’s nothing new here and the old story isn’t retold in any special way. Given the scope of the project, there shouldn’t be time to squander on platitudes - but the book is padded with smug generalisations and meandering, unsupported assertions. I thought I might get some value from the purchase by letting my nine year old listen to it. She said she enjoyed the facts but that there weren’t enough of them. We both gave up on a bad job. Big history seems to be weak history.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- George Broadfoot
- 15-05-16
so good
This is a vast and insightful work that does what all great non-fiction should do- it makes you feel smarter after hearing it. But also, you feel a bit dirty because lets face it, we are a terrifying species when viewed from certain angles.
16 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- FritzRadda
- 25-01-18
life as I knew it has changed for the better.
everyone MUST read this account and subjective explanation of our history. It is an eye opener and will make of you a happier person if you are open minded.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Crazybrave333
- 11-03-17
Prepare to have you mind blown
This is by far the best book I have ever read.
It moves at the pace of mankind's development getting faster and faster as it goes.
It will change your perspective on so many things at so many levels. This book is a must for anyone who wants to think deeply about where we come from and how that impacts the way we live today.
38 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 13-01-17
One of the rare books that intrigued me constantly
If you ever wondered what your (human) place is in the universe, read this. Find out how we humans began, how homo-sapiens conquered the Earth, and why you have all of those problems in life. It's like a weight is gradually lifting from your shoulders, the further you read/listen.
13 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr. George Sabados
- 20-07-15
Revelatory!
This was a fascinating take on the evolution of Sapiens and prediction of unshackling humanity from the bonds of the body!
I was riveted and could not get through this audiobook fast enough.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Darcy
- 16-06-16
Exceptional
Cannot recommend this book more highly. A transformative experience that will encourage you to question everything
10 people found this helpful