21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari is the third book I read by Harari. As with the other two, I rate this highly as well. If you are familiar with his views, you might expect that he would touch on the three problems we have at the moment, as a species: nuclear war, climate change, and technological disruption. He talks about all three in the book, besides touching on other topics, such as religion, meditation, immigration, terrorism. In another chapter he talks about nationalism, and gives Scotland and Catalonia as examples, and that is another very interesting read.
Each “lesson” is the main focus in one chapter. They are not talked about as lessons in the sense we might be accustomed to, but in the sense that these are some topics we should think about. In the chapter about war he says that the possibility of a war between western powers is low, but, at the same time, he says we shouldn’t underestimate the human stupidity.
He comes up with some ideas. For example, having a new tax, on information. I found the idea interesting. In an age where internet and data are so important, a new tax system can make wealth distribution fairer. He also says that if you want reliable information you need to pay for it. If you are getting something for free, this might be because you are the product. I could write a lot more about the book, but I think it would be better to let my readers discover it for themselves. The book is so well written and a delight to read, so do buy/borrow it from the library and read it. It’s worth it.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
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My rating: 5/5 Stars
Would I recommend it: Yes
Published by: Spiegel & Grau
Year it was published: 2018
Format: Hardcover
Genre(s): Philosophy
Pages: 372
About the author: Professor Harari was born in Haifa, Israel, to Lebanese parents in 1976. He received his PhD from the University of Oxford in 2002, and is now a lecturer at the Department of History, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
He specialized in World History, medieval history, and military history. Prof. Harari won the Polonsky Prize twice. In 2011 he won the Society for Military History’s Moncado Award for outstanding articles in military history.
Books by Harari: Sapiens, Homo Deus, 21 Lessons for 21st Century.
Website & Social Media Links: ynharari
I put Homo Deus on my wish list after you reviewed it. I think this one might look even better. Having read Command and Control and Nuking the Moon, I never underestimate the stupidity of humans! 😉