#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In Sapiens, he explored our past. In Homo Deus, he looked to our future. Now, one of the most innovative thinkers on the planet turns to the present to make sense of today’s most pressing issues.“Fascinating . . . a crucial global conversation about how to take on the problems of the twenty-first century.”—Bill Gates, The New York Times Book ReviewNAMED ONE OF THE … Gates, The New York Times Book Review
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY FINANCIAL TIMES AND PAMELA PAUL, KQED
How do computers and robots change the meaning of being human? How do we deal with the epidemic of fake news? Are nations and religions still relevant? What should we teach our children?
Yuval Noah Harari’s 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is a probing and visionary investigation into today’s most urgent issues as we move into the uncharted territory of the future. As technology advances faster than our understanding of it, hacking becomes a tactic of war, and the world feels more polarized than ever, Harari addresses the challenge of navigating life in the face of constant and disorienting change and raises the important questions we need to ask ourselves in order to survive.
In twenty-one accessible chapters that are both provocative and profound, Harari builds on the ideas explored in his previous books, untangling political, technological, social, and existential issues and offering advice on how to prepare for a very different future from the world we now live in: How can we retain freedom of choice when Big Data is watching us? What will the future workforce look like, and how should we ready ourselves for it? How should we deal with the threat of terrorism? Why is liberal democracy in crisis?
Harari’s unique ability to make sense of where we have come from and where we are going has captured the imaginations of millions of readers. Here he invites us to consider values, meaning, and personal engagement in a world full of noise and uncertainty. When we are deluged with irrelevant information, clarity is power. Presenting complex contemporary challenges clearly and accessibly, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is essential reading.
“If there were such a thing as a required instruction manual for politicians and thought leaders, Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari’s 21 Lessons for the 21st Century would deserve serious consideration. In this collection of provocative essays, Harari . . . tackles a daunting array of issues, endeavoring to answer a persistent question: ‘What is happening in the world today, and what is the deep meaning of these events?’”—BookPage (top pick)
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I loved Sapiens but initially avoided this book. It seemed a little gimmicky and derivative.
This NYT article https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/09/business/yuval-noah-harari-silicon-valley.html changed my mind and convinced me to read 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. While it’s no Sapiens (one of the best books I’ve read in the last decade), 21 Lessons is a worthwhile follow-up for anybody who enjoyed Sapiens.
For me, Harari provides one of the most compelling frameworks (a historical and biological framework) for thinking about the world today. While Sapiens presented the core of his worldview, 21 Lessons discusses its application to current problems including climate change, nationalism, and unintended consequences of technology.
Must-read manual for navigating this “Age of Bewilderment.”
Don’t waste your money on this book unless you are a thinking reader.
This is the second of his books that I have read and enjoyed its thought provoking nature. All his ideas may not be right on everything but one is smart to think about each of them deeply. For sharing fairly deep ideas his writing is very accessible. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the nature of man.
not as impressive as the early efforts
Interesting insight to the merging of biotech and AI. Very feasible prediction of robots assuming more and more kinds of work and the risk of continuous unemployment. Obvious hostility to religion of any kind
Rather wordy but a thoughtful look at the current state of humanity and the dangers in our near future.
Loved Home Deus by the same author, but found 21 Lessons to be sadly lacking. It is a collection of mostly rambling philosophical essays that Harari apparently thinks have some relationship to the 21st century. The book feels like a commercial marketing effort dreamed up by Harari’s publisher to sell one more book while the author’s reputation is deservedly hot. A huge disappointment compared to Sapiens and Home Deus. In the shadow of those powerful books, two stars is generous.
The best book i read these or last year, illuminates the era we live in.
In 21 Lessons for the 21st Century Professor Yuval Harari takes us down the fascinating and often terrifying paths of the human future. From automation to biological super humans we are given apple discussion on issues that are pertinent to the modern world. The threat of nuclear war, climate change, AI, and mass automation.
Although it seems like a bleak path, the author gives us many ideas on how we can create the best chances for our species success in the future. “Global problems require global solutions.”
A must read read book.
A must read for anyone concerned about the future of humanity.
A must read. Exceptional.
An insight to possible consequences of INFOTECHNOLOGY and BIOTECHNOLOGY for present day and future humankind, by a brilliant thinker.
If “you only read one book in the 21st century” this should be it. The only real great books are the ones that leave you with a whole lot to think about for a long time to come. Look no farther- this is it!
I recommend this book to every human being living on Earth at this time. Especially if you feel confused by how things are going, this book is for you. Non-fiction history and philosophy for all.
Harari’s 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is fascinating. It helps explain some of the key trends troubling our world. My only reservation (costing the book a 5th star) is the confidence with which the author makes long-term predictions about our future — about a time, allegedly coming soon, with few or no jobs, oppressive corporate and government powers wielding big data, genetically superior rich people, and other troubling features. Nothing in the book suggests that Harari’s confidence in his predictions is justified. Rather, the book is a great summary of trends, tied to some thoughts on possible futures. If readers approach it from that point of view, without relying on the predictions, they’ll be entertained and informed.
The future of the human race (Homo Sapiens), as we become more skilled at utilizing Ariificial Intelligence in improving our data sharing and performing menial and intellectual tasks. Superbly stated.
How to educate your dad. World view of a modern man. Sliding logic.
There is little doubt about AI being our next revolution but the responsible use of AI and the consideration of social impact ought to be one of the most important conversation in our times.