21 Lessons for the 21st Century

· Sold by Random House
4.5
74 reviews
Ebook
416
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In Sapiens, he explored our past. In Homo Deus, he looked to our future. Now, one of the most innovative thinkers on the planet turns to the present to make sense of today’s most pressing issues.

“Fascinating . . . a crucial global conversation about how to take on the problems of the twenty-first century.”—Bill Gates, The New York Times Book Review

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY FINANCIAL TIMES AND PAMELA PAUL, KQED

How do computers and robots change the meaning of being human? How do we deal with the epidemic of fake news? Are nations and religions still relevant? What should we teach our children?

Yuval Noah Harari’s 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is a probing and visionary investigation into today’s most urgent issues as we move into the uncharted territory of 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 builds on the ideas explored in his previous books, untangling political, technological, social, and existential issues and offering 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? How should we deal with the threat of terrorism? 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.

“If there were such a thing as a required instruction manual for politicians and thought leaders, Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari’s 21 Lessons for the 21st Century would deserve serious consideration. In this collection of provocative essays, Harari . . . tackles a daunting array of issues, endeavoring to answer a persistent question: ‘What is happening in the world today, and what is the deep meaning of these events?’”—BookPage (top pick)

Ratings and reviews

4.5
74 reviews
Artur Klauser
April 18, 2019
In this book Harari applies his keen observational skills, that he already demonstrated in earlier books, to more contemporary topics of the world we live in today and what he views as key issues which will occupy us in the decades to come. While each reader might agree to varying degree about the importance of each chapter (lesson) Harari expounds, the compendium of topics that are touched are probably as good a snapshot as any of where the world seems to be heading at this point in time and what the major challenges and opportunities are going forward. In the age of fast paced shallow news flashes this book, which attempts to look behind the curtain, is certainly worth a careful reading and thorough personal reflection on the topics that resonate with yourself.
23 people found this review helpful
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Christopher Bartley
March 1, 2020
This was a fun book to read, I love the way Noah thinks, I appreciate his humor as well. He covers a wide range of human history, taking a real stand for common sense in a world of political correctness. He cares about getting the correct information out, at the cost of slander from religious bigots, boldly breaking the ice open on the animal creation, and what it means for the next century. I took every chance I could for an interactive experience with this book, I found myself taking many notes. ❤
5 people found this review helpful
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Mohamad Mechli
June 12, 2020
The introduction attracted me, I thought the book will continue with the same quality, but I was disappointed. I have no problem that the author is from Israel and is gay, I read for content and look for values. I tried but could not accept the content.The author sees the world from a narrow perspective, provides biased views, lots of stereotypes, judgments and builds from there for concepts pretending he is global, neutral, and objective...he figured it all out, he can explain and categorize people , behaviours and ideas since 10000 years ago till now from Japan to Peru. Really !! Based on what ? Overrated book... Read something else.
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About the author

Professor Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, philosopher, and the bestselling author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, and the series Sapiens: A Graphic History and Unstoppable Us. His books have sold forty-five million copies in sixty-five languages, and he is considered one of the world’s most influential public intellectuals working today. Born in Israel in 1976, Harari received his Ph.D. from the University of Oxford in 2002 and is currently a lecturer at the Department of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He co-founded the social impact company Sapienship, focused on education and media, with his husband Itzik Yahav.

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