This mismatch prevents the political system from effectively countering our main problems. “We now have a global ecology, a global economy, and a global science - but we are still stuck with only national politics. These issues are global, yet we still live divided by nations, religions, race. “In order to make wise choices about the future of life we need to go way beyond the nationalist viewpoint and look at things from a global or even a cosmic perspective.”Īnd this is really the thesis of his entire book. What will happen when climate change triggers ecological catastrophes? What will happen when computers outperform humans in more and more tasks, and replace them in an increasing number of jobs? What will happen when biotechnology enables us to upgrade humans and extend life spans?” “The big challenges of the twenty-first century will be global in nature. Though globalization and the internet bridge the gap between countries, they threaten to enlarge the rift between classes.” “The twenty-first century might create the most unequal societies in history. This technological discussion leads naturally to the political challenge: However, this book will raise countless questions and it will be up to the reader to find answers. For those unfamiliar with a lot of the global issues beginning to arise, this book should shed a lot of light on those issues.

Harari doesn’t spend much time offering solutions to the issues he raises, instead, he just tries to bring them into awareness.įor a fan of Harari, this book is a fine complement to his other two works and should be read with the same urgency. The proposed 21 lessons better resemble issues than lessons. The use of the word lesson here is used with some liberty. The book brings the readers back to the present. Which means spending a little bit more time thinking and working toward the truth rather than operating on long-built patterns that aren’t effective anymore. According to Harari, meditation is the first step to solve a lot of these issues. The next steps don’t need to be complex in order to combat the complexity.

Harari, unfortunately, doesn’t offer many answers and then when he does offer one, seems to be over-simplistic. The pillars of our society: education, religion, community, work, and liberty are all being tested. Our current systems cannot begin to handle global issues like nuclear war, ecological collapse, and the rise of technology. We have entered into a post-truth world, where ignorance is easier than truth. Our technological, political, economical, and cultural systems are failing. The world is becoming increasingly complex.

But Yuval Harari seems to have known this, as he said, “Questions you cannot answer are usually far better for you than answers you cannot question.” This book raised far more questions than answers.

Yuval harari 21 lessons