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21 Lessons for the 21st Century

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21 Lessons for the 21st Century

By: Yuval Noah Harari
Narrated by: Derek Perkins
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Buy for $23.40

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#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.”—The New York Times Book Review

A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

How 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. Civilization Politics & Government World Future Studies Social justice 21st Century Technology Social Sciences Socialism Modern Capitalism Anthropology Iran Imperialism War Russia Africa Middle East Middle Ages Refugee

Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR YUVAL NOAH HARARI and 21 LESSONS FOR THE 21st CENTURY

"[Harari] has teed up a crucial global conversation about how to take on the problems of the twenty-first century." —Bill Gates, New York Times Book Review

“Truly mind-expanding . . . Ultra-topical . . . Harari’s big selling point [is] the ambition and breadth of his work, smashing together unexpected ideas into dazzling observations.” —The Guardian

“Erudite, illuminating, vivid. [Harari’s] lessons suggest new ways of thinking about current problems. . . . a splendid, sobering, stirring call to arms.” —Sunday Times

“Magnificently combin[es] historical, scientific, political, and philosophical perspectives. . . . This well-informed and searching book is one to be savoured and widely discussed.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)

“More comprehensible [than Sapiens and Homo Deus] . . . showing you things you thought you knew about in a completely new way . . . I find Harari’s writing exhilarating.” —The Radio Times

“Harari thrills his readers because he addresses the biggest possible topics with confidence and brio. Compared with the subjects he tackles, anything else we might read looks piffling and parochial.” —Evening Standard

“Harari’s genius at weaving together insights from different disciplines, ranging from ancient history to neuroscience to philosophy to artificial intelligence, has enabled him to respond to the clamour to understand where we have come from and where we might be heading . . . 21 Lessons is lit up by flashes of intellectual adventure and literary verve.” —Financial Times

“21 Lessons for the 21st Century will complete a Harari hat-trick of classics . . . The clarity of Harari’s vision is astonishing . . . thanks to him, the world makes better sense to many more of us.” —The Bookseller

“Modern life can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, Yuval Noah Harari’s new book 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is on hand to guide us through it . . . poolside reading with purpose.” —Elle

"Harari delivers yet another tour de force." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A sobering and tough-minded perspective on bewildering new vistas." —Booklist (starred review)
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These books by Harari, (this one, Sapiens, and Homo Deus) are the type of books that are referenced in history as the starting point or inspiration for world changing leaders

Fantastic

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At first, I was ready to return this book...then I gave it a chance and was solidly hooked. The premises that are proposed Harari are all around us - he presents the "what ifs" and the "think about that" that make you look at everything in a new way. What is revealed is that we live in a complicated and at times scary world. Highly recommended.

Eye-opening Listen

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excellent, dynamic, entertaining
not all of the Expanse books are at the same level, but this one is one of the best

excellent, dynamic, entertaining

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The author makes up what he claims are commonly held assumptions about the world then dismantles them. Nice writing exercise but it ends up being a well written dismantling of nothing.

Over-rated and celebrated

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The first couple chapters were good but then it became a bit of a rant on all things organized (government, science, religion)

A rant on meditation

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