Unstoppable Us, Volume 1: How Humans Took Over the World, from the author of the multi-million bestselling Sapiens

by Yuval Noah Harari

Other authorsRicard Zaplana Ruiz (Illustrator)

Hardcover, 2022

Status

Available

Call number

930

Genres

Audiobooks

Nonfiction

Collections

Non-Fiction, Children, History

Publication

Puffin (2022), 208 pages

Description

History. Juvenile Nonfiction. Sociology. Geography. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� From world-renowned historian and philosopher Yuval Noah Harari, the bestselling author of Sapiens, comes an exciting, illustrated book for middle school readers that looks at the early history of humankind. A New York Times Best Book of 2022 "Gripping and thought-provoking." �??The New York Times Even though we�??ll never outrun a hungry lion or outswim an angry shark, humans are pretty impressive�??and we�??re the most dominant species on the planet. So how exactly did we become �??unstoppable�?�? The answer to that is one of the strangest tales you�??ll ever hear. And it�??s a true story. From learning to make fire and using the stars as guides to cooking meals in microwaves and landing on the moon, prepare to uncover the secrets and superpowers of how we evolved from our first appearances millions of years ago. Acclaimed author Yuval Noah Harari has expertly crafted an extraordinary story of how humans learned to not only survive but also thrive on Earth, complete with maps, a timeline, and full-color illustrations that bring his dynamic, unp… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member fionaanne

Funnier and more engaging than his adult works, this book covers a good chunk of what Harari argues in Sapiens using language appropriate for older children. The illustrations complement the concepts discussed quite well, although there are some spreads that seem uninspired. The text ends in a

cliff-hanger-y way, hinting at the second volume. Highly recommended for both kids and thier adults.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review.

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LibraryThing member BooksRLife4Me

This is a wonderful and informative book. The intended audience is older children and I also found the book entertaining and learned a few things. A great novel that was easy to read and provided some history lessons in a fun way.

LibraryThing member laVermeer

First of all I must observe that this book is a delightful physical object. It's colourful and appealing, very thoughtfully planned. The only exception to this praise is that there are a few passages of coloured text on a coloured background with low contrast — very difficult for a reader with

vision problems to read.

This book caught me off guard in a good way — it was not at all what I was expecting. I initially found the author's claim about human superiority over other animals rather offputting, but as the argument advances, this perspective on humans' "superpower" becomes compelling.

This is not a book for every child. There are some distinctly quirky moments in the prose, and some young readers simply won't have the preparation to accept Harari's initial premises. But for those who are ready for it, UNSTOPPABLE US is an eye-opening and fascinating read.

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LibraryThing member True54Blue

The word hubris comes to mind when reading the title of this book and unfortunately it doesn't stop there. Harari presents his historical narrative as the one and only true story as he seeks to explain why humans are who they are. He begins the book by telling us that it's a true story (xv) and

then proceeds to weave together a number of theories into one overarching story of human history. There are numerous places where the various theories have been challenged by historians and scientists but Harari doesn't mention even one. The book is well written and illustrated, but I would not give this to a young person because it would leave them with the impression that his narrative is more than a story, in his sense of story-making being the human 'superpower.'

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LibraryThing member lyonkirsten

I received a copy of this book through a LibraryThing giveaway. This book really gets you to see modern life differently, based on how early humans lived. I think there are a lot of good ideas for why people act the way they do, and inspires us to try to change the way we act for the good of the

world. The illustrations are wonderful, and really add to the book.

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LibraryThing member Tanny1322

Harari wields his literary power this time to cater to a younger audience. The outcome? A treasure trove of fun facts, clocking back to an epic journey of discovery, survival and evolution. As you gradually make your way through the colourful pages of this book to understand what the "human

superpower" is, I assure the readers a ton of learning in the process. It is interesting to understand the emergence and dominance of Sapiens among the many human families that once existed on this planet- Unstoppable Us! is a veritable time machine that whizzes through the ages and pauses us to think, while not seeming like a weary cargo of information. Recommend it as a quick entertaining read, which will prove to be an enriching exercise for our digitally fatigued minds.

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