“But the best thing fire did was cook. Foods that humans cannot digest in their natural forms – such as wheat, rice, and potatoes – became staples of our diet thanks to cooking”
Yuval Noah Harari
The book “Sapiens: A brief history of humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari is one of my favorite books of all time. Throughout the book’s pages, the author tries to connect our history as a human race with how we live today. Looking at people through that evolutionary lens feels very powerful.
Even though the book doesn’t have 100% historical rigor, since it makes assumptions based on missing pieces of information, it teaches a way of thinking that helps understanding human behavior in general. I’m a highly analytical person, and I found that this way of reasoning allowed me to build empathy with others and made it easier to understand their feelings.
While reading the book’s pages, I also realized the importance of food and cooking in our society; cooking seems to be the most critical driver in human society.
The book has four parts:
- The cognitive Revolution
- The Agricultural Revolution.
- The Unification of Humankind.
- The Industrial Revolution.
Throughout these parts, the author narrates the historical developments. It also expresses his opinion on how these developments impacted society for the good or the bad. Finally, the book ends with the author’s prediction on the outlook for future centuries.
Overall I strongly recommend this read for those curious about human nature and want to gain additional perspective about our current reality. If you read it, let me know in the comment section below what you think.
In-flight Project 