21 Lessons for the 21st Century
'Truly mind-expanding... Ultra-topical' Guardian
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4.3 • 186 Ratings
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- £6.99
Publisher Description
**THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER**
In twenty-one bite-sized lessons, Yuval Noah Harari explores what it means to be human in an age of bewilderment.
How can we protect ourselves from nuclear war, ecological cataclysms and technological disruptions? What can we do about the epidemic of fake news or the threat of terrorism? What should we teach our children?
The world-renowned historian and intellectual Yuval Noah Harari takes us on a thrilling journey through today's most urgent issues. The golden thread running through his exhilarating new book is the challenge of maintaining our collective and individual focus in the face of constant and disorienting change.
Faced with a litany of existential and real crises, are we still capable of understanding the world we have created?
'[Harari] has teed up a crucial global conversation about how to take on the problems of the 21st century' Bill Gates, New York Times
'21 Lessons is, simply put, a crucial book' Adam Kay, author of Undoctored
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Following on the massive success of Sapiens and Homo Deus, Israeli historian and bestselling author Yuval Noah Harari turns his gimlet eye to our not-so-distant future. In his latest punchy compendium, Harari tackles many of our most pressing issues, offering thoughtful analyses of topics like what artificial intelligence means for our careers and how to determine whether a news source is legit. What makes his 21 Lessons more than mere lectures is the deep vein of philosophical thought and moral clarity. It’s heady stuff, but, thanks to Harari’s expressive prose, it’s also hugely engaging.
Customer Reviews
Think 2050 but learn to think
An informative and thought provoking book - especially the ideas of stories, of myths as a tool, of looking into oneself. His own experience and use of meditation - and his plea for more time to be spend understanding our reaction rather than the event - is powerful. But will we listen? Is there much evidence of change by governments and educational institutions? Why doesn’t the West teach children the value of and the techniques to benefit from meditation?
Who will be the first to change our curriculum and thoughts towards 2035 or 2050 needs of, say, 20 year olds at that time. Will we be swamped with data, mentally scarred by the intensity of social media and instant communication? Indeed, why learn algebra or coding or languages when AI will sort this for us - we need to learn to cope ... and to survive with a pop of 20bn in a damaged world.
There may well be a kids copy of this book: shorter, illustrated, using different examples perhaps. If there isn’t, then there ought to be. Enthusing me, a 71 year old British pensioner is fantastic, but my God (or your one or none) 5 year olds and 15 year olds need to think about these things. Firstly, though this book ought to be compulsory on every university course: teachers, engineers, researchers, physicians ... um, all.
In two years I will read the 3 books again. Thank you.