Though this book takes a global perspective, I do not neglect the personal level.

Harari reminds us that “clarity is power” in his opening sentence, and argues that clarity about the present can only emerge from a careful examination of the needs of individual humans as well as those of global civilization: Although the book covers a wide range of subjects, there is one overarching goal that feels always immanent: the discovery of mental clarity via an ongoing, dynamic exchange between global and individual mindsets. I happen to think that the benefits of this approach far outweigh the drawbacks in Harari’s case, but acknowledge that for some readers his style is a dealbreaker.įor those willing to accept the limitations of Harari’s project, 21 Lessons is brimming with wisdom both practical and theoretical.

Harari’s art is that of synthesis and summary, and there are myriad perspectives and details that he leaves out in order to distill his ideas into their most accessible forms. My analysis of 21 Lessons comes with the usual Harari caveat: these books are all about the big picture, and are written for a popular, nonacademic audience. Given the urgency and complexity of this moment in history, this is probably his most important work to date, if not necessarily his best. In 21 Lessons for the 21st Century , Harari focuses his incomparable intellect on the here and now. Harris opened the conversation by saying, “So, Yuval, you have these books that just steamroll over all other books.” That’s pretty much how I felt about Harari’s two previous works, Sapiensand Homo Deus, which address humanity’s past and possible futures. Last week, I was one of the lucky audience members who witnessed a live discussion between Yuval Noah Harari and Sam Harris in San Francisco.

21st century 21 lessons