Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind is a book by Yuval Noah Harari, first published in Hebrew in Israel in 2011 based on a series of lectures Harari taught at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and in English in 2014. The book, focusing on Homo sapiens, surveys the history of humankind, starting from the Stone Age and going up to the twenty-first century. The account is situated within a framework that intersects the natural sciences with the social sciences.
Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless other have conquered it: us.
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 the thrilling account of our history — from insignificant apes to rulers of the world.