Saturday, July 3, 2021

The Sapiens By Yuval Noah Harari

 

I finished The Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari finally .Since i began it on 19th of June i was giving it almost two hour per day except two days when guest came and one day when we went to Sukkur for shopping.yet it took fourteen days to finish . It was one of the best book i ever read .It's completeness is really impressive .Author has covered the huge ,complicated and challenging topic with amazing mastery which leave reader with great satisfaction and joy of learning. I really want to know if some of you have read it ,What you think about it and how it influenced your way of thinking about human history and his growth ?

I want to but cannot share the all topics that author has discussed in this book but i can say that all basic events of the human history are mentioned with great detail like evolution of humanity ,liberalism ,new approach for learning ,beginning of the use of money and how capitalism has got hold of whole global society today.Though i  have mentioned it in my previous  post here  and shared little about i had read in this book about cognitive revolution  and then later agricultural revolution that forced homo sapiens to form towns and create  societies and  socialize. Agricultural revolution  that began almost ten thousand years ago changed the life and perspective of sapiens completely. It ,like all other things has good and bad affect on human life .People left the free roaming life and made homes near their fields.According to author first time in human life time came when he started to think about "future " instead of only present day. The main reason for this was his concern about crops he grew. Henceforth he thought carefully about what he did and plan things. Such thinking burdens were new for his brain to digest and there began various new diseases.Another reason for  new diseases was sudden change of food type as he switched his diet from pure meat to plants and grains mostly.

Author writes when after medieval  man learnt that he know really nothing about world he lives in and about numerous other things new kind of learning started .By admitting ignorance men on earth started new struggle to learn and explore which proved endless till today.Numbers ,math ,chemistry ,physics ,statistics and art surpassed all other previous old scholarly in this era.  

Agricultural revolution provided strong platform for further and new kind of developments that took place time to time during ten thousand years among which the Industrial Revolution was Biggest and most prompting .It started three hundred years ago when machines started to replace men. Life got easier in so many ways and it is then when Time became really important to count and life became restricted in many schedules.

Scientific revolution began in 1945 when nuclear bomb was introduced .Science and technology revolutionized  human society completely and made it a global village.

Author mentions we can say that since centuries sapiens are moving towards a single community system and today it seems quite close to it .Accept it or not almost all people on planet share same European blood because in the past due to invasions and  mingling of races within newly formed empires most of the sapiens produced new generations of mixed blood .Our new biggest trust is money and biggest community is one combined social community .

He added that world of today is formed by capitalist who though has pilled so many new things around us and convinced us to buying them is must and essential.But in order to sell his stuff more he has broken the "family unit" by provoking individualism inside sapiens.Family who was everything for one throughout the whole history torn away by infusing people with ideas that everyone is unique and separate and has all rights over himself  .No one has right to tell him what to do or choose.Consequently today state and market are parents of an individual of today.They provide him all he needs except love and emotional support though such help is also offered that can bring him partner for while .But it is all on price of family who was most important unit of society .

Author talks about research about "Happiness" by scholars ,psychiatrists,scientists like biochemists that try to measure the happiness of  sapiens of modern era as compare to our ancestors. According to different written tests from human subjects happiness is hard to measure only through one mean like written tests .People mostly say they feel happy when they get what they want  and common theory is that people living in big houses and driving luxury cars are happier that people living in little huts and starving for two time meals.

But Biochemists see this differently .They put it like this .Some people are born with richness of special bio chemical that is responsible for pleasant sensation in our body.People who's bodies lack this chemical cannot be happy above certain point and for longer.If measure happiness from 1 to 10 one who is born with more quantity of this  biochemical his happiness leaps from 3 to 7 and never goes down from it even if he is being robbed or faced accident etc .He will feel low for certain time and then his level is up to it's normal point.On the other hand one with less quantity of such biochemical will  feel happiness from 2 to 5 and no matter how big lottery he wins he soon returns to his fixed routine feeling. (that was totally new information for me,now at least i can count my self  well and not weird or sick as my habit to saty happy all the time is not my fault)

According to psychological research people who are married and have lively partner with happy nature are happier than single people who have lot but not  true partner.

People who look after their children and see them growing up before their eyes are more happy than who don't have family.because they don't see taking care of children as headache or heavy responsibility but a way to stay close to nature and nurture life!

Noah the writer writes about one belief that inspired science most and it was creed of  Buddha. Buddha says that people don't feel sad because of poverty ,sickness or any other bad happening but they feel  sad because they always chase cheerfulness and joy.When people are happy they are afraid of loosing it sooner or later.When they are sad they try hard to avoid being sad and not accept what they feeling at the moment. This constant struggle for denial tires them out  and they feel broken and exhausted which leads to disappointment and depression.

If they sit ,relax and meditate .Contemplate about their current feelings ,accept and deal with them calmly it can help them to move out of the tunnel where light of wisdom and serenity is waiting for them. (i found this truly helpful i agree)

In the last chapters writer has said lot about how sapiens are trying to create totally new kind of  history with the help of modern science.Specially how genetic science is going beyond our imagination and engineering the genes to create superhuman which might best copy of even ourselves.They are trying to make medicine that match to one's DNA so can hit the target well during treatment.

Though he sums up  with words that sapiens before taking full advantages of this privilege should first be still and think what they really want as new scientific supper power has made them so blind and busy with numerous projects but it is better to sort out first what they want actually and is it really worth ?

i agree that power specially when it is new and  beyond limits can drive one mad dangerously .and madness can be harmful to himself too so being careful is always right thing to do.

thank you so much for bearing with me precious fellows !

i hope you will share your opinion if you too have read it.

Blessings and best wishes to all of you!!!

    

32 comments:

  1. Interesting thoughts about happiness!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Though every one has his her own personal standards for the happiness and they work for them often and well but researchers from different fields try to figure out what and how this works for most of us dear Debra

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow this sounds like an all encompassing book. Power can be evil for sure. And good advice that we must not chase happiness but contemplate accept and deal with our feelings calmly to move forward. I like that, it makes sense thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. if see as whole it seems that humans advancements in recent three centuries have surpassed all his previous slow process of growth whether it is in physical world or mental horizons .

      After cognitive revolution when man got consciousness this phase is fastest regarding learning process . science says this is matter of natural selection and nature has chosen us to play freely within the limitless horizons of this astonishing universe.

      powers comes at price and i think very first price we paid consciously or unconsciously was our "innocence " or conscience that made us survive at any cost (sounds reasonable) but did we make right choices all the time ,No of course.do we make completely right choices now after 75 years of experience of acting according to wisdom we got as Sapiens ? No ,we are constantly in journey of learning .previously we learnt slowly and gradually but since three centuries we have become bright students and learning fast ,inventing things and planning huge projects that we could not have imagined before some hundred years ago .
      what is most scary that knowledge is power and power in wrong hand can be really destructive .all we have to make sure that this time we make choice it must be right and it is possible when just bunch of people not decide what is good for whole community but first share and get approval from all who are regarded as " concerned " for common good of all.because this making wrong choice may not leave us way back to our normal peaceful existence on earth.

      things go wrong when we mistake our world with heaven we have heard about and hope that all goes according to how we want it .
      This is world ,place for constant unstoppable struggle ,people whom we think are swinging in the lap of good fortune also suffer with issues but different than ours .we should not follow the mirage and try to dig our own well in order to drink and plant water of life .digging is tough but this is that tell us how and what our worth is .and only this struggle clear fog from our mind and make us see things the way they are actually ,this insight is true source of Happiness :)

      Delete
  4. The idea of genetically creating super humans disturbs me. I envision the opportunity for so many injustices. And I am a naturally happy person. It drives some people crazy but I am fine with it because I feel good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. when i think of world filled with upgraded humans i feel so happy that i came in era when we are still natural beings with natural dreams and desires dear Emma .

      if our scientists make hurry to create something more powerful than themselves it can be tough in the beginning and quite messy to find ways to control them which is terribly scary indeed

      Delete
  5. I can see why this took a long time to read. It seems to be intense reading. Well done for getting though it. Have a very nice day today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes it was long and intense read in means that it made me feel as i took journey of 75 thousand years along with Sapiens ,i felt myself in their shoes .
      every morning when i would share with hubby what i had read previous day hubby would find it nice and important knowledge but at the same time he would advise me to take break and read something light .

      this was because the events and incidents of the history and mentioned in this book are dense and harsh and make one emotional and feel sad sometimes.
      i am glad i could do this but i think i will reread it after some years again

      Delete
  6. This sounds an interesting book, certainly one to make you think!

    Happy Weekend Wishes.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. if you are interested in history it is one of the best seller book dear Jan :)

      Delete
  7. This is a great survey of history. I must find this book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. correctly said dear Red
      yes it is a perfect survey of history ,nothing is missed ,my eldest son told me that author has written next volume which he is reading recently and recommends me read it too .he know i am passionate about learning about life 's growth on earth now days :)

      Delete
  8. It's always pleasing to get your teeth into a good book - that's a saying Baili.
    Take care.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. so true dear Margaret

      i think i am lucky that my son recommended it ,what i could learn after reading it i might have tried many several books to gain such learning ,it is complete history of humans on planet earth

      Delete
  9. interesting reading, Baili, every religion I think tells us that money can't buy happiness, that love is the only thing that can - looks like the scientist in this book has been able to validate this with scientific evidence from his studies.

    ReplyDelete
  10. i think what we find in religious books is mostly scientific knowledge dear Betty ,i cannot make anyone understand how i discovered this truth in my life and experiences .laws of attraction say what nature has told us already through his special men who found secrets of Nature and creator revealed within their hearts and tried to convince others what they learnt through this miraculous revelation .we called them messengers ,followed them to some extent but soon our ego and our lust dominated our faith in goodness they taught us.
    i believe that no matter how far science go and whatever invent ,nothing will bring humans peace of mind and true happiness though it can calm their sense of adventure and achievement but all will be timely ,the sense of leaving better and peaceful life behind will surly keep it's place in the minds of modern people of future until time when far generations of future will not learn anymore about people who lived natural life by making family and maintaining social values .

    ReplyDelete
  11. It sounds like an amazing book with lots to think about. Thanks you so much.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I haven’t read the book. It covers human history and gives much to think about by the sound of it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Você gosta dessa leituras intensas que ensinam como os seres humanos evoluíram. Parabéns por ter esse amor pela leitura.
    Muita saúde.
    Um beijo.

    ReplyDelete
  14. It sounds really interesting, Baili! There is so much to think about.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks for coming by my blog and wishing me well (from Beatrice's blog). I would definitely like this book. Have thought about a bigger picture with humanity since I was a child, I guess. I believe that happimess or contentment is something you can carry with you no matter what is going on around you. It isn't what happens to you but who you are and how you live through your days that truly matters. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. having bigger picture of humanity in mind keep us more realistic and compassionate dear Rita and i believe these virtues are gift .

      with time we learn this yes i agree that being happy is completely in our own hands and totally belongs to our inner world instead of world around us and what we face in life ,world and circumstances are question to our being ,it is up to our capacity how we answer them

      Delete
  16. Thanks for the suggestion, baili.
    Have a great week

    ReplyDelete
  17. This sounds like a fascinating book, baili. Thank you for your summary and thoughts on it. I'd like to read it one day, when I am back to reading material with more depth. At the moment I am reading as an escape and feel I would struggle with such serious topics. But hopefully . . . after awhile . . .

    I am also interested to read your comment to another person that there is another book by the same author to follow the first. I will watch for both of these books in our bookstore.

    ReplyDelete
  18. i think you will like it a lot dear Jenny if you always had in mind curiosity for how life got this latest shape we live with and how many bridges it crossed while doing so ,if not i am sorry you will feel bored after some chapters because author has written everything with tiniest details it demanded and missed hardly anything .that is what i felt ,i felt i took straight walk from far past to till today without missing any essential passage .i did not know that any of my blogger friend have not read it ,i though at least few will say they are familiar with the book .

    because my satisfaction and joy my eldest son mentioned another book by same writer that is futuristic though but he said he is liking it .i can't say about this one whether i will like it or not but i am glad i could learn little bit about history because of The Sapiens .

    ReplyDelete
  19. I appreciated you review of this book, Baili, although it is unlikely that it will be on my reading list soon, perhaps at some future time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. everybody has it's taste for everything including reading dear Dorothy

      and it changes as we age so may be in future you find history interesting enough to know and i fall in love with fiction again :)

      Delete
  20. This sounds like an amazing book Baili! Thanks for sharing it with us! Big Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  21. The book sounds very comprehensive in its view of history. I was interested to read about the Buddhist thinking. It chimes with the writings of Yogananda. His books taught me a lot including explanations of teachings in the Christian bible.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks for the summary. Each chapter is interesting but about the sense of happiness is the most intriguing. Now I think I got an answer to my long question; why some people desire the best and the most of things while others can be happy and satisfied with little things. I had thought it because of people's mindset. Take care.

    Yoko

    ReplyDelete
  23. Um livro profundamente interessante, pelo que nos resumiu tão bem, Baili!
    Vou tentar achar por estes lados! Uma formidável sugestão de leitura!
    Beijinhos
    Ana

    ReplyDelete
  24. Kudos to you for completing Harari's Sapien, Baili! It is a deeply insightful book. I kept seeing it in bookstores and finally bought it and read it about a year and a half ago. Your summary of the book is excellent! I found the book enlightening. What an incredible journey our species has been on! I love how you push yourself to keep on learning and growing. And kudos for you to learn more about our amazing human brain as you mentioned in your next post. You inspire me always, Baili!

    ReplyDelete

Protected by Copyscape DMCA Copyright Protection