Sapiens: Een beeldverhaal 3 - Kampioenen van de geschiedenis

Sapiens: A Graphic History #3

by Yuval Noah Harari, David Vandermeulen (Illustrator), Daniel Casanave (Illustrator)

In de eerste twee succesvolle delen van Sapiens: een beeldverhaal zagen we hoe de soort Homo sapiens van nomaden in kolonisten veranderde, hoe de eerste wereldrijken ontstonden en hoe oorlog, hongersnood, ziekte en ongelijkheid tot de menselijke conditie gingen behoren. In dit derde deel zien we welke historische verschijnselen ervoor zorgden dat de mens voor het eerst als eenheid gezien kon worden. Aan de hand van een spelshow vol verwijzingen naar populaire cultuur wordt de concurrentiestrijd tussen wereldrijken, geld en religie ontleed en de vraag beantwoord: wie is de werkelijke kampioen van de geschiedenis?

Samen met David Vandermeulen en Daniel Casanave weet Yuval Noah Harari ook in Kampioenen van de geschiedenis de historie van de mensheid op toegankelijke, originele en humoristische wijze te vertellen. Een feest voor jong en oud.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, Comics, Bande Dessinée, Anthropology, Science

280 pages, Hardcover

First published October 29, 2024

About the author

Yuval Noah Harari is an Israeli historian and philosopher. He is considered one of the world’s most influential public intellectuals working today.

Born in Israel in 1976, Harari received his Ph.D. from the University of Oxford in 2002. He is currently a lecturer at the Department of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a Distinguished Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for the Study of Existential Risk. Harari co-founded the social impact company Sapienship, focused on education and storytelling, with his husband, Itzik Yahav.

Reviews

[Phillip Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel uses allegorical figures to represent the forces that have shaped history in a game show where each makes their case for being the master of history before a panel of experts. They ran the gamut from Mr. Random to the embodiment of religion known as Skyman. What I found to be best about this book was that it represented many views and was not another didactic text students usually got in school. The one thing that was misguided was to put one force as the main factor since civilization like the landscape is shaped by many forces. All the panelists were very intelligent and cogent in their debating over the impact of the forces each allegorical figure represented. I won't go into more exposition because who would want to ruin such a great reading experience with spoilers?

[Rod Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Predicting the future can rely on understanding the past, but what forces have shaped our history? Using a fictional game show format, a host and panel of experts take presentations from and offer critiques to various avatars of change. The first chapter of the book examines whether history is totally random, cyclical, or simply the fallout from endless conflicts between rivals. Having decided that history has a direction toward globalization, the next chapters bring on new guests to the show who argue for imperialism, money, and religion as the ultimate unifying drivers. The book ends on a cliffhanger as a surprise guest rushes the stage to make her case . . . in the next volume.

The ideas are big and controversial, the examples are enlightening, and the presentation is fun. An open mind will have a lot to mull over and debate.


FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: History Behind the Scenes -- Lady Empire vs. the World -- In Captain Dollar We Trust -- The Revelations of Skyman

[Vikas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third volume of the graphical novel adaptation of Sapiens is geared more towards kids, but I enjoyed it as well, and I am sure that others would do the same. This issue covers different ideas that helped humanity come together throughout the world's history. Now the wait begins for the vol. 4 along with everyone else so let's wait and in the meantime let's Keep on Reading.

I have always loved comics, and I can and I have. I love comics to bits, may the comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more. You should also read what you love, and I hope you will always love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics, Diamond Comics, or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I just want to Keep on Reading.

[McKenna Deem · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

Sapiens is back and just as wonderful as the first graphic novel with this third installation.

After the agricultural revolution, who takes control? Is it us as humans, or something bigger? Harrari, Vandermeulen, and Casanave’s adaptation attempts to answer these questions in a balanced, engaging read that discusses the nuances of warfare, economy, and religion.

Excited for the 4th!!

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Valente · Rating 5 out of 5]

1 this book was challenging for me because this book showed me subjects that I would have never thought even existed it was brief but incredible this book showed me so many topics that I thought i knew from a diferrent perspective

2 I don't have a favorite because all the characters had unique aspects that made them different

3 I never knew that so many things like religion cycles and more made up history in such a way

4 I wouldn't change the ending because it was a creative cliffhanger for the next book

[Jonathan Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toujours très fort le Yuval.

[Ty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The question that frames this volume - What is the one force that has done the most to steer history and unify humanity? - seems obviously stupid to me, but I’m continuing to enjoy this series as a fun, thought-provoking, and easy to read consideration of human history.

[Kelly-Ann McFern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encore une fois, une merveilleuse synthèse! On y parle de beaucoup de concepts abstraits. La vulgarisation est un peu moins facile, du coup, on se perd parfois dans les élaborations de théorie (puisque la question dans cette BD nous demande qui a unifié les humains), mais le tout reste quand même super accessible. On y parle de religion, du capitalisme, du côté cyclique de l'histoire, des empires et de leurs héritage. La BD englobe, encore une fois, une multitude de sujets et de thèmes tous très intéressants.

J'ai hâte de lire la suite avec impatience!

[Sofia Balderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, what a great series, the ideas and theories are so interesting, gives a great perspective on the society and history. I greatly enjoyed reading about empires and religions especially. I haven’t read the original book but I loved the graphic novel adaptation! So entertaining. One of my best finds of the year for sure. Can’t wait for the fourth book!

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a brief, strange discourse regarding whether historical events are random, based on clashing rivals, or something else, The Masters of History settles into its primary discussion: what has driven human development? Is it Empire, Money, or Religion? Yuval Noah Harari and his coauthors do a fine job of unpacking each of these forces over time, especially in showing both the good and bad outcomes.

For example, Empire is often considered bad because it's the imposition of one culture on another, usually against that other's will. And yet, Harari argues that colonization is actually a benefit of Empire, because eventual decolonization means the other culture gets to keep some good elements of Empire while charting its own course. Further, when the decolonized nations say "we have to return to our values from X time period," they're usually referring to values that were applied during a previous colonization period!

It's all very heady, and I'm sure the above paragraph makes hash of the book's actual narrative, but it certainly made me think. Anyone without an open mind (or anyone who is a fierce adherent to a religious faith) will likely have a tough time with The Masters of History, but I found it fascinating.

All that said, though, I could 100% do without the awkward framing narratives these Sapiens: A Graphic History books are bound to. Here, we get a...game show? With Empire, Money, and Religion as contestants? Because a graphic format means we need to dumb down the content?

[Josh Laws · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating subject matter as always, but the game show conception they used as a narrative vehicle felt contrived to me. Still I would highly recommend these to anyone interested in history or anthropology.

[Frédérick Duval]

Angle unique par rapport aux 2 autres volumes (talkshow qui reçoit les versions humaines des concepts qui ont unifié l'humanité). Brise les conventions et nous fait redécouvrir les concepts de base de l'économie, des empires, de la religion et des civilisations. à découvrir absolument.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this has been my favourite of the three volumes. It felt very playful even though it asks very big questions: what unites humanity? What force has had the greatest impact? I look forward to volume 4 which sounds like it will focus on the role of science and technology.

[Jan Gomez i Solanes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Em fascina com són capaços de fer divulgació amb una novel·la gràfica.

[Gerard de Bruin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zondermeer het beste deel tot nu toe

[Annelies Van Oost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertainend + leerrijk = schot in de roos. Soms ietwat druk door het concept van de spelshow.

Fijn om over andere culturen te leren: mijn Europese horizon is dringend aan verruiming toe!

[Milena · Rating 5 out of 5]

historię w takiej wersji kocham 🙈

[Anna K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascynująca analiza historii!
Czekam niecierpliwie na 4. część (o nauce). :)

[Anna Praill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always interesting and always fun!

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hariri writes with remarkable precision and clarity.

[Barbara Majewska-Kosik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ta seria jest genialna, chcę jej więcej!!!

[Catherine Habel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le contenu est super, mais je n’ai vraiment pas accroché sur le format jeu televisé de la bd

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sapiens lezen voor het slapen gaan bleek een hele opgave. Na twee pagina’s viel ik in slaap en de avond erop kon ik opnieuw beginnen, omdat ik was vergeten wat ik de dag ervoor gelezen had. Ik denk dat dit voor meer non-fictie geldt die je in bed leest, en dus niet per se voor Sapiens. Gelukkig was er nu het derde deel van de verstripte versie van Sapiens. Leuke verteltechnieken zijn gebruikt om de geschiedenis van de mens uiteen te zetten en ook dit derde deel boeide me tot het eind.
En ja, met plaatjes kan een slaperige geest het wat beter bijhouden.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tough one. I loved the first two books in the series! But this one I really had to slog through, finally just doing about a dozen pages a day. I don't know what it was, but I was just plain bored. Since it looks like there will be a fourth book coming out, I'm hoping this was just the outlier in the group.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Goodreads for the review copy.

[gaby.readsbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great continuation to this nonfiction graphic novel series. While I still think the first volume is my favorite, this volume had so much interesting information and theories as to what is the driving force to humanity's fate. The answers presented were all very well researched and explained in an easily understandable way. I think the graphic novel format lends well to nonfiction writing as it makes it, at least for me, more easy to grasp the concepts. I like that the ideas are a bit more condensed in this format with easy examples in history that go well with the art. It just makes for a fun reading experience.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Perennial for granting me access in exchange for an honest review.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book twice and plan to read it again. It is a deep dive into the history and evolution of our species. The research is impeccable and brings together the current knowledge of our history. I can’t believe how many nights I stayed up much too late reading this book. As soon as I finished it I knew I would read it again. It is so rich that it will take me a number of readings to assimilate most of the knowledge.

[Lê Tuyền ICHI · Rating 5 out of 5]

AI LÀ CHỦ NHÂN CỦA LỊCH SỬ?
Yuval Noah Harari đã nói gì?

Yuval Noah Harari từng nói rằng chỉ vài năm trước, ông vẫn chỉ là một giáo sư lịch sử ẩn danh chuyên về lịch sử thời trung cổ, và có lẽ chỉ khoảng 5 người trên thế giới đọc các bài báo của ông. Nhưng hiện tại, có đến HÀNG TRIỆU ĐỘC GIẢ của ông trên thế giới. Vì vậy, ông khá sốc với vị trí của mình hiện tại.

Nhìn vào việc Nexus chỉ mới phát hành (tại Việt Nam) sau 1-2 ngày mà Omega đã phải tái bản và trên thị trường có hẳn bản sách giả, ai cũng phải gật đầu công nhận trước sức hút khủng khiếp của ông.
"21 Bài Học Của Thế Kỷ 21", "Homo Deus: Lược Sử Tương Lai" có lẽ chỉ mang tính củng cố, "Sapiens: Lược Sử Loài Người" mới là tác phẩm ra mắt và có tính oanh tạc thực sự của ông - một quyển sách khó cưỡng và khó tin!

Hơn 600 trang sách (bản Việt), với lượng nội dung dàn trải và hàm súc, dù cho tác giả Harari có lối diễn đạt lôi cuốn và dễ hiểu, không phải ai cũng tiếp cận được Sapiens, một cách đầy đủ trọn vẹn. Đó là lý do mà "Sapiens: Lược Sử Loài Người bằng tranh" ra đời. Lần lượt, từng tập 1.

Vậy tập 3 này có gì?
Ngẫu Nhiên, Xung Đột, Chu Kỳ, Đế Chế, Tiền Tệ, Tôn Giáo - đó là toàn bộ nội dung của tập 3, được trình bày bằng một cách rất sáng tạo và độc đáo: một cuộc thi với câu hỏi lớn "Ai đã chi phối lịch sử?". Từ đó, Harari cho phép các thí sinh trình bày các luận điểm, hay chính xác là cách các yếu tố Quy Luật, Tôn Giáo, Tiền Tệ,... này ảnh hưởng đến lịch sử như thế nào. Và các giám khảo đóng vai trò phản biện, để giúp người đọc nhìn nhận đa chiều và sâu sát hơn.
Một điều khá hay ở tác giả Harari là cách ông đưa đẩy dẫn dắt, khi bạn vẫn còn đang chìm đắm vào một phần nào đó, ông đã biết cách khơi mào và mang tới một điều tiếp theo một cách cực kỳ mượt mà thuyết phục, giống như cách bạn nhấm nháp một món ăn ngon rồi ngay sau đó là một món ăn ngon khác - liên tục nhưng kích thích, và bạn có thể chìm đắm vào bữa tiệc ấy không ngơi ngán.

Đối với ai đã từng đọc bản Sapiens bằng chữ, quyển sách sẽ mang tính chắt lọc, giúp bạn nhặt nhạnh những kiến cốt lõi nhanh hơn. Đối với ai chưa đọc qua bản Sapiens bằng chữ, quyển sách là bài tóm tắt tuyệt vời, bạn sẽ ngỡ ngàng với nhừng gì đọc được (lần đầu đọc Sapiens, tôi đã cực kỳ choáng váng).

Với cá nhân tôi, "Sapiens: Lược Sử Loài Người" hay từ đầu đến cuối, nhưng phần mà tôi cảm thấy tinh hoa và bùng nổ nhất (cũng thích nhất) chính là những chương áp cuối - phần nói về Hạnh Phúc ấy.
Tôi sẽ đọc được phần này trong tập mấy của bộ "Sapiens: Lược Sử Loài Người bằng tranh" nhỉ? Tập 5 hay tập 6 hay hơn nữa? Không hề quan trọng, vì tôi sẽ rinh về toàn bộ sách đặt lên trên kệ của mình, đó là điều chắc chắn!

(06.10.24 - Lê Tuyền ICHI)

[Krishna Sunder · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Read this in two sittings at the UWS Barnes & Noble. I have my issues with Yuval Noah-Harari, but he offers an intelligent (albeit slightly ‘hand-wavey’) overview of several theories of history in a colorful and engaging format.

The story takes place on a game show called Evolution! where different figures present their arguments for what drives the course of history to a panel of judges (including Yuval himself). The different guests are anthropomorphized allegories like conflict (Clashwoman), imperialism (Lady Empire), religion (Skyfather), money (Captain Dollar), etc. who transport the judges to historical events that illustrate their narrative. The book is also interspersed with comedic interludes on critical technological developments and discourse between the judges and the guests on flaws in their arguments.

In general I am extremely skeptical of histories that attempt to paint the complex story of human life into comfortable and cohesive grand narratives. This is why I take issue with pop historians like Jared Diamond and Yuval Noah-Harari, who seek to make the absurdity of modern life seem like a natural conclusion of forces in play for thousands of years. In my opinion, the aggregation of human nature is fundamentally chaotic and messy; yes, the invention of agriculture deeply changed society, but did a switch suddenly flip from which we could never return? I personally don’t think so. There is a lot of archaeological evidence to support multiple instances of agricultural settlement AND return to nomadic ways of living throughout history. Even now, we are all teetering on the brink of nuclear war — if the bombs were dropped, I’m sure nomadic lifestyles would come back into vogue. I would prefer we bake this arbitrariness into how we teach history, rather than cherry-picking data to frame the course of events as an inexorable march towards our current reality.

That being said, I think this book does a decent job of straddling the line. While I still object to certain claims in the book — such as the idea that there is a clear ‘direction to history’ (eg, imperialism made the world permanently more unified, simply by flattening/destroying the cultures they conquered) — the game show format does allow you to see some solid counterarguments to different historical theories from the judges. The comic style is also engaging, and would be a good introduction to history for young readers who can then choose to go deeper if they want.

Docking a star because of these issues, and a half star because my personal favorite — Mr. Random — was not given a fair cop :/

[YingYu Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an impressive makeover about history for readers to rethink the evolution of human societies through the course of time and space.

My favorite parts are:

1. Everyone loves TV shows, or how ideas promotes mutual understanding and thinking. It’s a smart way to show the facts with humor and fun twists.
2. Perspectives: Historians have different ideas of how civilizations come to the course. It first analyzes histories from events, such as random, cyclical, or clash.
3. From a further grander scale the book introduced 3 other possibilities for a holistic analysis: empire, money, religion.
4. While these concepts are clashing and debatable, the book stages a stage to present each possibilities, and how we can interpret things in different ways instead of defining the one and only.
5. The part on religion is the most surprising to me, as I’m more of an animist/ pro-darma, and have always been wondering the merits of believing in one god who saves all. But after reading the book, I understand how Christianity is also a fusion of monotheism, dualism, animism, and actually polytheism! Think of how Jesus, heaven and hell, spirits, gospels come to work together for the narrative!
6. I finally know a bit more about Shinto. It’s also a blend of modernization and ancient belief, as well as Confucianism and and can further understand how it influences East Asia. It’s not just how the North Korea government manipulate or control people, or why kamikaze used to work so well to make Japanese army sacrifice, but also how it used to influence Taiwan! They all link together!
7. From looking back at the history, we can project how humanity will bring forth — but with care and mindfulness.