CLUB
’ve done in quite a few years, which has sped up
oks I get through in my spare time has increased
Luke Biggs, Intercalating
ase anyone is looking for a good new read…
medical student
Sapiens: a history of humankind and Homo deus:
Ok, so I’ve cheated here by putting two books in one review, but on
recollection it’s really difficult for me to define where the one ends and
the other begins. Essentially, these books contain discussions upon
various aspects of human history, analysing broad themes and
speculating upon the direction in which humanity could be heading if
current trends continue. Yuval Noah Harrari is equal parts optimistic and
cynical regarding our future, and at multiple points I had to stop and
ponder what I had just read, trying to think of counter points to some of
the arguments he makes. In my mind that is the sign of a truly brilliant
piece of literature, it felt as though I was in a dialogue with the author,
and that I could clearly follow his thought processes. The second book
has a rather optimistic title, as it contains no answers regarding what will
happen in humanity’s future, but it does a fantastic job of showing us
why we should be asking what humanity should be striving towards.
Verdict: Sapiens is a wonderful book, and I would recommend it to anyone. The sequel repeats many of the first’s
messages and spends very little time discussing the future, so one might argue that the title is a misrepresentation of the
book’s content, however the author is still a delight to read and the discussions on Artificial Intelligence are fascinating.
Who rules the world? by Noam Chomsky:
This one is more of a collection of essays than it is a book, because each chapter is self-
contained and there are often repetitions between chapters, however I will review it here
anyway. The ‘book’ primarily focusses upon an extremely bleak view of current affairs and
recent political history, Noam Chomsky is critical of virtually every political stance taken by the
USA and Western Europe since the dawn of the 20 th century, and at many points I felt as though
I should stop reading and go outside to breathe in the fresh air before I am consumed by the
imminent nuclear winter. I can’t say I was completely convinced by most of his arguments, but
he does a fantastic job of playing Devil’s advocate and shining a light upon the possible political
realities hidden behind the dredge of propaganda generated by western governments.
Verdict: I can’t give this one a shining endorsement because I find it overwhelmingly depressing, however that might just be
my political naivety and potential indoctrination into the oppressing Western political regime… However, I think it’s important to
consider views that you disagree with, and so while I wouldn’t completely recommend it, I wouldn’t avoid it like the plague
either.
So, that’s the lot. Congratulations if you read through all of them (I realise I went a bit overboard).
Hopefully at least one person reads this and sees something they fancy picking up for a read.