by Yuval Noah Harari
Introduction. 21
Lessons for the 21st Century is
the third of three books written by Yuval Noah Harari, each of which covers a
wide range of topics and orients those topics to today’s society. In Harari’s first book, Sapiens, he analyzes human history from our ancestral roots to modern
day. In his second book, Homo Deus, he basically picks up where he left off in Sapiens, playing the observable trends from throughout history to their
logical conclusions in the future, then analyzing the impacts of those trajectories
on humanity. In 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Harari deviates from this previously
established, strictly chronological method of delivering information and,
instead, moves from one topic to another with a natural flow.
Analysis. The two primary topics covered in 21
Lessons for the 21st Century are Artificial Intelligence and Bioengineering,
but Harari also covers how these two main topics split into many areas of effect,
such as liberty, equality, nationalism, and many others. The book is structured to address the aforementioned
topics in five main parts: The Technological Challenge, The Political
Challenge, Despair and Hope, Truth, and Resilience. Generally, the author relays the potential opportunities
that these advances in technology offer society at large, but he also cautions
about the dangers associated with neglecting to apply foresight in shaping society
to best receive these advances, lest we inadvertently create an irreversible caste
system which, when coupled with advances in bioengineering, could create a fork
in the evolution of our very species.
Evaluation. Although the large number of addressed topics
and ambiguously labeled titles make the book sound relatively confusing, the
natural flow of topics which is quintessential of Harari’s work renders the
material palatable and relatable.
Personally, I feel that I have intellectually benefited tremendously
from Harari’s work, and he remains at the forefront of my most highly
recommended authors. His work remains
unrivaled by any other author that I have read.
Conclusion. Each of Harari’s books provides unique deliverables,
so I highly recommend each. These books dissect
complex intellectual and philosophical ideas through a meticulously unbiased
approach, which grants even the most radical viewpoints a fair assessment, and reinforces
lessons with tangible and historically documented examples to support his
conclusions. An honest pursuer of
knowledge simply cannot afford to skip this series.