Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

I rate books stricter than most: a good book gets 3 stars, not 5. To get 4, a book has to be written well and to stand out well above average, as I see it. It has to be a book I can see myself reading again, for pleasure or for a deeper understanding. Only a book that significantly affects me – helps me see a major new side of life or a new artistic style – gets 5 stars from me.

“Sapiens” gave me new insights into – or at least new “food for thought” about – the human condition. Presentation of the early “revolutions”, particularly the pessimistic perspective on agriculture, is interesting. I was finding intriguing parallels to Hickel's “The Divide” and Jetha and Ryan's “Sex at Dawn”. The chapters on religions and Capitalism are powerful. Yuval spares no punches, which is much appreciated.

The book is not without flaws – “true,” sometimes it throws a random straw-man out there – but its strengths overcome its shortcomings by a long shot.