Sapiens: A Graphic History: The Birth of Humankind (Vol. 1) by Yuval Noah Harari
Read sample
Customer reviews

Sapiens: A Graphic History: The Birth of Humankind (Vol. 1)

4.7

-

4,605 ratings


Official U.S. edition with full color illustrations throughout.

**#1 New York Times Bestseller **

The Summer Reading Pick for President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg,  now available as a beautifully packaged paperback

From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.”

One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us?

Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas.

Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become?

Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem.

Read more

Kindle

$19.99

Available instantly

Hardcover

$29.19

Paperback

$20.31

Buy Now

Ships from

Amazon.com

Payment

Secure transaction

ISBN-10

0063051338

ISBN-13

978-0063051331

Print length

248 pages

Language

English

Publisher

Harper Perennial

Publication date

October 26, 2020

Dimensions

8.06 x 0.71 x 10.88 inches

Item weight

2 pounds


Product details

ASIN :

B08HM1J5YF

File size :

1553484 KB

Text-to-speech :

Not Enabled

Enhanced typesetting :

Not Enabled

X-Ray :

Enabled

Word wise :

Not Enabled


Editorial Reviews

Review

"This appealing first volume elucidates often misunderstood basics of human evolution (i.e., that until 50,000 years ago, there used to be at least six species of humans) while also unraveling knotty existential questions about humanity’s role on this planet. Young science enthusiasts and adult philosophers alike will want to pick up this smart, snappy work." — Publishers Weekly

"In a manner that is both playful and provocative, Harari teams with co-creators adept at the graphic format to enliven his academic studies....An informative, breathless sprint through the evolution and consequences of human development." — Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Yuval Noah Harari, bestselling historian and philosopher, is considered one of the world’s most influential intellectuals today. His popular books—including Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, and the series Sapiens: A Graphic History and Unstoppable Us—have sold more than forty-five million copies in sixty-five lan­guages. Harari, with his husband, Itzik Yahav, cofounded Sapienship, a social impact company with projects in the fields of education and storytelling, whose main goal is to focus the public conversation on the most important global challenges facing the world today. Harari has a PhD in history from the University of Oxford. He is a Distinguished Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, and lectures in the depart­ment of history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Read more


About the authors

Yuval Noah Harari

Yuval Noah Harari

Prof. Yuval Noah Harari (born 1976) is a historian, philosopher and the bestselling author of 'Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind' (2014); 'Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow' (2016); '21 Lessons for the 21st Century' (2018); the children's series 'Unstoppable Us' (launched in 2022); and 'Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI' (2024). He is also the creator and co-writer of 'Sapiens: A Graphic History': a radical adaptation of 'Sapiens' into a graphic novel series (launched in 2020), which he published together with comics artists David Vandermeulen (co-writer) and Daniel Casanave (illustrator). These books have been translated into 65 languages, with 45 million copies sold, and have been recommended by Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Natalie Portman, Janelle Monáe, Chris Evans and many others. Harari has a PhD in History from the University of Oxford, is a Lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's History department, and is a Distinguished Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for the Study of Existential Risk. Together with his husband, Itzik Yahav, Yuval Noah Harari is the co-founder of Sapienship: a social impact company that advocates for global collaboration, with projects in the realm of education and storytelling.

Read more


Reviews

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

4,605 global ratings

Michelle C Stringham

Michelle C Stringham

5

Every human should read this.

Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2024

Verified Purchase

I had seen the author in an interview and was intrigued. Excellent writing and format (graphic novel style). Highly recommend to any homosapien.

Juli's mom

Juli's mom

5

Beautiful! Terrific graphic novel adaption’

Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2024

Verified Purchase

My teens are reading this graphic novel and it’s a beautifully done, well laid out, easier to comprehend version of the regular Sapiens. I have found myself flipping through it and getting lost in its pages. I would recommend for ages 11+

Ty Nan Og

Ty Nan Og

5

What a fantastic alternative medium to the original format!

Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2020

Verified Purchase

I loved Sapiens the book despite a few caveats like missing Heron of Alexandria (steam), awesomeness like the Antikythera Device, and suggesting England in the middle ages was a backwater. During the first century and a half of the Norman period in the high middle ages it flourished until anti-jewish pogroms murdered or made refugees of thousands, misogyny ruined women lead businesses, and the dreaded beast of climate change ended an incredible era of prosperity with William the Bastard commonly known as the Conqueror being most likely the richest person in the world (the Mansa Musa of the 11th century CE) and PPP for the average person was excellent for that century and a half much like during the brief Norman Sicilian Renaissance.

Onto this book though it has a solid and well made hard cover. The paper is thick matte stock which surprised me differing from most "comic book" style graphic novels but it is good enough to have good color retention. The art is good reminding me more of something in the 1980s made for educational purposes released by a textbook company or government office more than a modern graphic novel. Or like a comic in the newspaper like Dennis the Menace.

I've been reading the book to my young child today and we've been enjoying its prose and he really likes the art more than I do. He particularly liked the mammoths and the Bering strait portion because it reminded him of the Ice Age movies. Highly recommend it.

Read more

73 people found this helpful

Alina

Alina

5

Good

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2024

Verified Purchase

I like it

Raymond Lee

Raymond Lee

5

Excellent for youngsters and the oldies

Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2024

Verified Purchase

I read the Sapian book some years ago and I must admit, I must have forgotten most of it. But this graphical (re) interpretation of it, I will probably never forget. A good bed time stories for the very youngest as well.

More reviews