Sapiens

Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it. Us.

Explore the questions of humankind’s place in the universe through the framework of natural science. In this bold and provocative series, author Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here, and where we're going.  

Humans are the most advanced and most destructive animals ever to have lived. What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us sapiens? From evolution to the modern sciences, what does humanity mean? And in the end, what might be next for us humans?

Narrator Derek Perkins navigates the questions of humanity with a solid delivery, alternating between gravitas and gentle humor. His clear presentation conveys the finer points of the narrative in a way that is easily understandable to listeners of all backgrounds and ages. Throughout the progression of fact and opinion, Perkins’s voice ushers you through the series at an engaging pace. You won’t want to pause as the story winds up to a grand conclusion.

Harari cites Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond as a major inspiration for Sapiens and its forward-thinking sequel, Homo Deus. He wanted to explore human history and the big questions of humankind and answer them scientifically. The series is an exploration of what it means to be human in a society scientifically advanced enough to bend the laws of natural selection and genetic design. Harari delves into questions of how our scientific advancements may fundamentally change us as a species.

Sapiens and Homo Deus are both internationally acclaimed New York Times best sellers. Among other honors, Sapiens made its way onto The Guardian’s list of the ten "Best 'brainy' books of the decade”, won the National Library of China’s Wenjin Book Award for the best book published in 2014, and is ranked as one of Bill Gates’s ten favorite books. Homo Deus made Time magazine’s list of the Top Ten Nonfiction Books of 2017.