Yuval Noah Harari facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yuval Noah Harari
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Harari in 2024
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| Born | 24 February 1976 Kiryat Ata, Israel
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| Known for | Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011) Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (2015) 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (2018) Nexus (2024) |
| Spouse(s) | Itzik Yahav |
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| Institutions | Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| Thesis | History and I: War and the Relations between History and Personal Identity in Renaissance Military Memoirs, c. 1450–1600 (2002) |
| Doctoral advisor | Steven Gunn |
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Yuval Noah Harari (born in 1976) is a famous Israeli historian and author. He teaches history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Harari is known for his books that explore the history of humankind and what the future might hold.
His first big book, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011), became a worldwide bestseller. It talks about how humans, Homo sapiens, became the most powerful species on Earth. He also wrote Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (2016), which looks at how technology might change humans in the future. Another book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (2018), discusses important issues we face today. His latest book is Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI (2024).
Harari's books explore big ideas like free will, what it means to be conscious, and how we can find happiness. He suggests that humans might change a lot in the next century because of new technologies. While his books are very popular, they also spark a lot of discussion among experts.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Yuval Noah Harari grew up in Kiryat Ata, Israel. He was one of three children in his family. He taught himself to read when he was only three years old. From age eight, he studied in a special class for gifted children in Haifa.
Harari started studying history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem when he was 17. He focused on medieval history and military history. Later, he earned his PhD degree from the University of Oxford in England in 2002. While at Oxford, he was inspired by the historian Jared Diamond, who wrote Guns, Germs, and Steel. Harari realized he could also write big books that explain history in new ways.
Career
Harari has written many books and articles. His most famous book, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, started as a series of lectures he gave at the university. It was first published in Hebrew in 2011 and then in English in 2014. It has been translated into about 45 languages.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Sapiens tells the story of human history from the Stone Age to today. Harari explores how Homo sapiens developed language and societies. He discusses how farming and the Scientific Revolution changed human life. The book became very popular in Israel and around the world. Many people find it a thought-provoking introduction to human civilization.
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow
His next book, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, came out in 2016. This book looks at what might happen to humans in the future. Harari suggests that humans might try to achieve great happiness, live forever, and gain god-like powers. He talks about how new ideas like dataism (where big data becomes very important) could shape our future. The New York Times Book Review called it "essential reading" for thinking about the future.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
In 2018, Harari published 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. This book focuses on challenges we face right now. It covers topics like fake news, climate change, and the future of work. Some critics have praised it as a deep look into current events.
A special note about the Russian edition of 21 Lessons for the 21st Century: Harari made a few small changes in the Russian version. He explained that these changes were needed so the book could be published in Russia. He felt it was important for his ideas to reach readers there, even with minor adjustments.
Books for Younger Readers
In 2020, Harari released Sapiens: A Graphic History, which is a comic book version of his Sapiens book. He also wrote Unstoppable Us: How Humans Took Over the World in 2022. This book is written especially for kids and covers the same ideas as Sapiens but in a simpler way. It is the first of four planned books for young readers.
Published Works
- Renaissance Military Memoirs: War, History and Identity, 1450–1600 (2004)
- Special Operations in the Age of Chivalry, 1100–1550 (2007)
- The Ultimate Experience: Battlefield Revelations and the Making of Modern War Culture, 1450–2000 (2008)
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2014)
- Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (2016)
- Money: Vintage Minis (2018)
- 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (2018)
- Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volume 1 – The Birth of Humankind (2020)
- Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volume 2 − The Pillars of Civilization (2021)
- Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volume 3 − The Masters of History (2024)
- Unstoppable Us, Volume 1 − How Humans Took Over the World (2022)
- Unstoppable Us, Volume 2 − Why the World Isn't Fair (2024)
- Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI (2024)
Awards and Recognition
Yuval Noah Harari has received several awards for his work. He won the Polonsky Prize for "Creativity and Originality" twice. In 2011, he won the Moncado Award for excellent articles in military history. He was also chosen for the Young Israeli Academy of Sciences in 2012.
Sapiens was on The New York Times Best Seller list for 96 weeks in a row. In 2017, Homo Deus won a German award for the most thoughtful economic book of the year. Harari has also spoken at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 2018 and 2020.
Personal Life
Harari is married to Itzik Yahav. They were married in Toronto, Canada. He lives in a suburb near Tel Aviv, Israel.
Harari practices Vipassana meditation every day and goes on long meditation retreats each year. He says meditation has greatly helped him focus and gain insights for his writing. He is also a vegan, which means he does not eat meat or animal products. He decided to become vegan after his research into the dairy industry.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Harari and his husband donated $1 million to the WHO (World Health Organization) through their company, Sapienship. Harari has also shared his opinions on political matters in Israel, including recent government plans.
Images for kids
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Yuval Noah Harari's signature
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A robot illustration
See also
In Spanish: Yuval Noah Harari para niños
