21 Lessons for the 21st Century

An illuminating and important book. One of Harari’s triumphs as a writer is his elucidation of the idea that nearly every social construct upon which modern society is built (religion, money, corporations, sports) relies upon a large network of people to collectively and unconsciously believe its myth. I felt that argument as a throughline through his first work, Sapiens, and then again here in 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. The element added by this book, though, with its focus on the challenges of the present, is how technology and today’s social unrest, fake news, and political upheaval will change our own myths and thought processes.