#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - In Sapiens, he explored our past. In Homo Deus, he looked to our future. Now, one of the world's most innovative thinkers explores what it means to be human in an age of bewilderment."Fascinating . . . a crucial global conversation about how to take on the problems of the twenty-first century."--Bill Gates, The New York Times Book ReviewA FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEARHow can we protect ourselves from nuclear war or ecological catastrophe? What do we do about the epidemic of fake news or the threat of terrorism? How should we prepare our children for the future?21 Lessons for the 21st Century is a probing and visionary investigation into today's most urgent issues as we move into the future. As technology advances faster than our understanding of it, hacking becomes a tactic of war, and the world feels more polarized than ever, Harari addresses the challenge of navigating life in the face of constant and disorienting change and raises the important questions we need to ask ourselves in order to survive. In twenty-one accessible chapters that are both provocative and profound, Harari untangles political, technological, social, and existential issues and offers advice on how to prepare for a very different future from the world we now live in: How can we retain freedom of choice when Big Data is watching us? What will the future workforce look like, and how should we ready ourselves for it? Why is liberal democracy in crisis? Harari's unique ability to make sense of where we have come from and where we are going has captured the imaginations of millions of readers. Here he invites us to consider values, meaning, and personal engagement in a world full of noise and uncertainty. When we are deluged with irrelevant information, clarity is power. Presenting complex contemporary challenges clearly and accessibly, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is essential reading.
This author historian is incredible! You may recognize the name from when I read his other book, Sapiens, recently. I know he has one other, but I think that's it for now. I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for another from him, and read his other book. As for this book, it is so interesting to see today's world through the eyes of a historian! It's truly riveting. Like the jigsaw you're trying to figure out based off a picture, he comes over and flips the picture on it's side and then you can finally see the bigger picture. I'll leave the rest with a quote:
“Whenever politicians start talking in mystical terms: beware. They might be trying to disguise and excuse real suffering, by wrapping it up in big incomprehensible words. Be particularly careful about the following four words: sacrifice, eternity, purity, redemption. If you hear any of these four, sound the alarm. And if you happen to live in a country whose leader routinely says things like, ‘their sacrifice will redeem the purity of our eternal nation.’ Know that you are in deep trouble. To preserve your sanity, always try to translate such hogwash into real terms. A soldier crying out in agony, a woman beaten and brutalized, a child shaking in fear.” So if you want to know the truth about the universe, about the meaning of life, and about your own identity, the best place to start is by observing suffering and exploring what it is. The answer isn’t a story.”
10/10 recommend!
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