Sapiens: A Brief History Of Humankind

by Yuval Noah Harari (Author)

Seventy thousand years ago, there were at least six different human species on earth. They were insignificant animals, whose impact was less than that of fireflies or jellyfish. Today, there is only one human species left: Us. But we rule this planet.
Sapiens, the book, takes us on a breath-taking ride through our entire human history, from its evolutionary roots to the age of capitalism and genetic engineering, to uncover why we are the way we are. Sapiens focuses on key processes that shaped humankind and the world around it, such as the advent of agriculture, the creation of money, the spread of religion and the rise of the nation state. Unlike other books of its kind, Sapiens takes a multi-disciplinary approach that bridges the gaps between history, biology, philosophy and economics in a way never done before. Furthermore, taking both the macro and the micro view, Sapiens conveys not only what happened and why, but also how it felt for individuals.
Sapiens invites us to not only connect past developments with present concerns, but moreover to question our basic narratives of the world.
The book’s conclusions are enlightening and at times provocative.

FK REVIEW

Sapiens’ is a short story of human history, from pre-anatomically modern humans to the present. The tale attempts to fulfill the promise of its title by covering all branches of anthropology and biology, as well as politics and economics, while providing a glimpse into what it feels like to be an animal or stone-age human.
This book is the biggest, most comprehensive collection of facts about a subject ever assembled, but unfortunately it suffers from a lack of depth. There is no room for any in-depth discussions about the various complex issues, and no room to discuss the evidence. The book is filled with assertion after assertion and virtually nothing to back them up. I looked in the reference section and was shocked to see how few citations there were—not even one! Such a massive subject deserves ten times more citations than that. If you think you’re getting a good scientific description of the facts, don’t buy this book; it’s essentially his opinions and not much else.
Hari is known to spout some pretty persuasive sounding theories regarding a variety of unrelated topics, such as history, psychology, and biology. Although many people are easily lured in by his good looks and charming personality, he is not someone you should seek out for advice. He is not an expert on anything other than Harari himself.
I found that, in the second half of the book, he opens up a bit more and actually provides some evidence (though still not enough to convince me). But this is all relative. If I’m reading a book on history, and it has no significant errors on modern history, then its “good”. Okay. It’s not as good as Goldstone’s “A tale of two cities,” but it’s not bad either.
This is not a terrible book. It’s just not the best, either. If you’re looking for something gripping, this isn’t it. If you want to read about the real events of World War II and its aftermath—as opposed to what some people chose to believe—then go elsewhere.

Mastery

by Professor Robert Greene (Author)

FK REVIEW

Learning an apprenticeship, especially one that may challenge you, can be a challenging experience. However, it is important to remember that as you grow and gain experience, you are likely to encounter a wide range of problems and challenges in your career or job. Sooner or later, when these challenges become too difficult for you to deal with on your own, it’s time to move on. And not just from that apprenticeship either—the moment when your mind is full of ideas and new perspectives and you feel completely energized by all the new knowledge that’s been gained—that’s when you should ask yourself whether or not it’s time for you to quit and start pursuing your dreams. The quote by Einstein that I found most useful was his view that ‘a great life is lived not when we achieve success but when we discover what matters most.’
In this gem of a book, Greene states that we all have it within ourselves to be modern day geniuses. He illustrates this point by referring to a pilot who wasn’t naturally gifted and put in the training and hours necessary to become one of the best even when the odds were stacked against him. Greene also refers to a basketball player who was not naturally gifted at basketball but displayed tremendous dedication, passion and commitment despite lacking natural talent for the sport; his hard work paid off when his determination allowed him to achieve greatness.
In his new book, Greene argues that to get the most out of life, we have to overcome our comfort zones. And he does it in a way that will inspire readers to do the same. If you read this book, I guarantee that you’ll be happier than before.

The Art of Thinking Clearly

by Rolf Dobelli

From the Back Cover

We are all guilty of cognitive biases, simple errors we make in day-to-day thinking. But by knowing what they are and how to identify them, we can avoid them and make better choices. The Art of Thinking Clearly shows that in order to lead happier, more prosperous lives, we don’t need extra cunning, new ideas, shiny gadgets, or more frantic activity—all we need is less irrationality. Simple, clear, and always surprising, this book will change the way you think and transform your decision making. From why you should not accept a free drink to why you should walk out of a movie you don’t like, from why it’s so hard to predict the future to why you shouldn’t watch the news, The Art of Thinking Clearly helps solve the puzzle of human reasoning.

About the Author

Rolf Dobelli is a bestselling writer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of Zurich.Minds, a community of some of the world’s most famed and distinguished thinkers, scientists, artists, and entrepreneurs, and a cofounder of getAbstract, the world’s largest publisher of compressed knowledge. He lives in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Books are the best way to understand the world and improve your life. Most books have no ads, so the commercial bias is suppressed. The Art of Clear Thinking is an excellent example of a book designed to improve people’s lives—without scaring them away with complicated scientific jargon. It is a text on how to avoid thinking badly: especially about yourself and others. The author maintains that our brains have not evolved enough to cope with complexities of modern living; consequently, errors in thinking are legion. Consequently, the amount of misinformation and lies is overwhelming—and we’re all susceptible because we’ve been trained since birth to believe anything someone tells us, regardless of whether it’s true or not. Scams are taking billions from stupid people who seem eager to believe even outrageous lies that contradict fact.
People often believe what they want to believe, even when it doesn’t make sense. They’d rather ignore reality than admit that their preconceptions are false. Example: Try to forecast oil prices next year. An economics professor will be as wide of the mark as a zookeeper, but the professor will state his view with certitude. The overconfidence effect does not stop at economics.
This is one of the 100 errors in thinking discussed in this excellent book. Overconfidence can lead to misjudgment about investments, starting a new business, marrying the wrong person and so forth.