2024-03-14
The bestselling science writer explains why human history is rooted in inequality.
The gist of Harari’s Unstoppable Us (2022): Humans have thrived by creating fictions such as religion and money, a situation that has facilitated cooperation via shared belief in intangibles. In this follow-up work, Harari argues that stories have cemented inequities introduced by the agricultural revolution. Though the domestication of plants and animals led to great innovation, it also made life more stressful. Property made it necessary to keep track of who owned what, which spurred the Sumerian invention of writing and, eventually, bureaucracy and schools. Surveying ancient Egypt, the author discusses concepts such as taxation, ownership, and slavery—“one of the worst things ever invented.” Stories and rituals, he notes, reinforced societal stratification; Brahmin priests, for instance, perpetuated the idea that Dalits were being punished for misbehavior in past lives. Stories also served as justifications for war, as well as racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination. This simplified narrative doesn’t address matriarchies, egalitarian societies, or retreats from settled farming. Still, overall it’s cogent and thought provoking, expressed in humorous, conversational prose. Underscoring the power of stories, fictional conversations (identified as such) interspersed throughout make the author’s arguments more comprehensible—and entertaining. As in the previous book, Zaplana Ruiz’s vivid illustrations round out the work. Ultimately, Harari invites young people to rewrite these harmful narratives.
An engaging, informative work of history sure to draw in readers even as it serves up harsh truths. (timeline, author’s note, map) (Nonfiction. 11-14)
