Summary & Study Guide - Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
By Lee Tang
()
About this ebook
This book is a summary of “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” by Yuval Noah Harari.
In Sapiens, Professor Yuval Noah Harari focuses on the three great revolutions of human history: Cognitive, Agricultural, and Scientific. He presents a hypothesis about how Homo sapiens transforms from an animal of no significance 70,000 years ago to become the rulers of the Earth.
Earlier human species such as Homo neanderthalensis in Europe and Homo erectus in Asia had climate and environmental adaptations that sapiens did not have. The Cognitive Revolution between 70,000 and 30,000 years ago enabled the sapiens to form elaborate cultures and communicate in fiction. Myths, religions, moral codes, nations, corporations, and money are fiction that shapes human societies, allowing them to speak the same language and share the same customs, beliefs, rituals, and dreams. Fiction also allowed them to cooperate in groups, giving them a military and security advantage and encouraging specialization which eventually gave them a technological advantage.
This book tells the story of how these three revolutions have affected humans since the start of the Cognitive Revolution. It challenges everything we thought we knew about being human.
This guide includes:
* Book Summary—helps you understand the key concepts.
* Online Videos—cover the concepts in more depth.
Value-added from this guide:
* Save time
* Understand key concepts
* Expand your knowledge
Lee Tang
Lee Tang is a retired executive of a major global insurance company. Prior to his retirement, he has worked as an actuary, a risk officer and a chief financial officer for several major insurance organizations in the United States, Canada, and Taiwan. To learn more about Lee and his work, visit his website and blog at https://lmtpress.wordpress.com. You can reach him by email at leetang888@gmail.com.
Read more from Lee Tang
Canada's Public Pension System Made Simple: The Secrets to Maximizing Your Retirement Income from Government Pensions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Summary & Study Guide - Sapiens
Titles in the series (51)
Summary & Study Guide - The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain-Including Diet Cheat Sheet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - The End of Diabetes: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes - Including Diet Cheat Sheet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - Brain Storms: The Race to Unlock the Secrets of Parkinson's Disease Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - We Are Our Brains: A Neurobiography of the Brain from the Womb to Alzheimer's Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - The Body Builders: Inside the Science of the Engineered Human Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - ADHD Nation: Anatomy of An Epidemic - Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - Into the Gray Zone: A Neuroscientist Explores the Border Between Life and Death Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - The Gene: An Intimate History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - Mind over Meds: When to Let Your Body Heal on Its Own Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - How Not to Die: How Not to Die:Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - The Beautiful Cure: Harnessing Your Body’s Natural Defenses Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - The Alzheimer's Solution: A Breakthrough Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline at Every Age Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - Healing Arthritis: Your 3-Step Guide to Conquering Arthritis Naturally Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - Resurrection Science: Conservation, De-Extinction and the Precarious Future of Wild Things Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - The Fountain: A Doctor’s Prescription to Make 60 the New 30 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - The End of Epidemics: The Looming Threat to Humanity and How to Stop It Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - Anticancer Living: Transform Your Life and Health with the Mix of Six Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary & Study Guide - Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related ebooks
Summary & Study Guide - The Beautiful Cure: Harnessing Your Body’s Natural Defenses Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind By Yuval Noah Harari Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sapiens – Summarized for Busy People: A Brief History of Humankind: Based on the Book by Yuval Noah Harari Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSapiens: A Brief History Of Humankind Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSapiens and Homo Deus: The E-book Collection: by Yuval Noah Harari - A Comprehensive Summary Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind Summary Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Humankind History and Origins: A Short Guide on How we Came to be Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary and Analysis of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind: Based on the Book by Yuval Noah Harari Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5From Monkey to Homo Sapiens A Journey Through the Stages that Led to Humankind Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sapiens: by Yuval Noah Harari | Key Takeaways, Analysis & Review: A Brief History of Humankind Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBook Review: Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari: A brief history of humankind Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Agustin Fuentes's Why We Believe Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind | Conversation Starters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSixth Grade Social Science (For Homeschool or Extra Practice) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMirrors Are Deceptive Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsManifesto for a Species: Our Own Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Enigma of Human Evolution Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnimal Liberation Now: The Definitive Classic Renewed Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Science of Being Human: Why We Behave, Think and Feel the Way We Do Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA History of Man: A Concise Study of the World Patterns That Brought Us to Here Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Shifter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSapiens: Uncovering Humanity's Journey - The Ultimate Guide to Yuval Noah Harari's Philosophy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSapiens: by Yuval Noah Harari | Conversation Starters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIN THE BEGINNING: A HISTORICAL FICTION Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Human Origins: A Short History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKnow-It-All Anthropology: The 50 Extraordinary Human Innovations and Events, Each Explained in Under a Minute Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArmy of Metalloids: At Our Doorstep Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEvolution: The Triumph of an Idea Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Study Guides For You
Summary of The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Reader’s Companion to J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Court of Thorns and Roses: A Novel by Sarah J. Maas | Conversation Starters Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 5 AM Club Summary: Business Book Summaries Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quick Guide: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5No Fear Shakespeare Audiobook: Romeo & Juliet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Much Ado About Nothing (No Fear Shakespeare) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWorkbook & Summary of Becoming Supernatural How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon by Joe Dispenza: Workbooks Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBarron's American Sign Language: A Comprehensive Guide to ASL 1 and 2 with Online Video Practice Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Summary of Poverty, by America By Matthew Desmond Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow A Novel by Gabrielle Zevin Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Summary of Demon Copperhead A Novel By Barbara Kingsolver Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of How to Know a Person By David Brooks: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Summary of Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life… And Maybe the World by William H. McRaven Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fifty Shades Trilogy by E.L. James (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of The Creative Act: A Way of Being | A Guide To Rick Rubin's Book Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Summary of Spare By Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5100 Years of Solitude (SparkNotes Literature Guide) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Reviews for Summary & Study Guide - Sapiens
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Summary & Study Guide - Sapiens - Lee Tang
How Humans Evolve from Insignificant Apes to Become the Rulers of the World
This book is a summary of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,
by Yuval Noah Harari.
In Sapiens, Professor Yuval Noah Harari focuses on the three great revolutions of human history: Cognitive, Agricultural, and Scientific. He presents a hypothesis about how Homo sapiens transforms from an animal of no significance 70,000 years ago to become the rulers of the Earth.
Earlier human species such as Homo neanderthalensis in Europe and Homo erectus in Asia had climate and environmental adaptations that sapiens did not have. The Cognitive Revolution between 70,000 and 30,000 years ago enabled the sapiens to form elaborate cultures and communicate in fiction. Myths, religions, moral codes, nations, corporations, and money are fiction that shapes human societies, allowing them to speak the same language and share the same customs, beliefs, rituals, and dreams. Fiction also allowed them to cooperate in groups, giving them a military and security advantage and encouraging specialization which eventually gave them a technological advantage.
This book tells the story of how these three revolutions have affected humans since the start of the Cognitive Revolution.
This guide includes:
Book Summary—helps you understand the key concepts.
Online Videos—cover the concepts in more depth.
Value-added from this guide:
Save time
Understand key concepts
Expand your knowledge
Important Note About This Guide
This guide is a summary and not a critique/review of the book. The summary may not be organized chapter-wise but summarizes the book’s main ideas, viewpoints, and arguments. It is NOT meant to be a replacement, but a supplement to help you understand the book’s key ideas and recommendations.
Title: Summary & Study Guide - Sapiens
Subtitle: A Brief History of Humankind
Author: Lee Tang
Publisher: LMT Press (lmtpress.wordpress.com)
Copyright © 2018 by Lee Tang
All rights reserved. Aside from brief quotations for media coverage and reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form without the author’s permission. Thank you for supporting authors and a diverse, creative culture by purchasing this book and complying with copyright laws.
First Edition: June 2018
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 9781988970110 (ebook)
ISBN 9781720438083 (paperback)
ISBN 9781987063790 (paperback)
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and author make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of these contents and disclaim all warranties such as warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. The website addresses in the book were correct at the time going to print. However, the publisher and author are not responsible for the content of third-party websites, which are subject to change.
To my wife, Lillian, who is the source of energy and love for everything I do, and to Andrew and Amanda: watching you grow up has been a privilege.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Timeline of History
Part One: The Cognitive Revolution
1. An Animal of No Significance
2. The Tree of Knowledge
3. A Day in the Life of Adam and Eve
4. The Flood
Part Two: The Agricultural Revolution
5. History’s Biggest Fraud
6. Building Pyramids
7. Memory Overload
8. There Is No Justice in History
Part Three: The Unification of Humankind
9. The Arrow of History
10. The Scent of Money
11. Imperial Visions
12. The Law of Religion
13. The Secret of Success
Part Four: The Scientific Revolution
14. Discovery of Ignorance
15. The Marriage of Science and Empire
16. The Capitalist Creed
17. The Wheels of Industry
18. A Permanent Revolution
19. And They Lived Happily Ever After
20. The End of Homo Sapiens
Afterword
Index
About the Author
Timeline of History
Source: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Part One
The
Cognitive
Revolution
Chapter 1
An Animal of No Significance
Matter, energy, space and time came into being 13.5 billion years ago after the Big Bang. Planet Earth came into being 4.5 billion years ago. Organisms emerged on planet Earth 3.8 billion years ago.
Biologists classify organisms into species. A species is the largest group of organisms in which two individuals can produce fertile offspring. If two individuals of different species mate, many factors can prevent successful fertilization or successful birth. Sometimes, the offspring might be sterile, as when a donkey and a mare mate and produce a mule which is sterile.
Homo sapiens belongs to a large and noisy family called the great apes. Sapiens and chimpanzees evolved from a common ancestor 6 million years ago. Our closest living relatives