Introduction
We can classify people into 2 types in today’s world. One type thinks that he/she knows everything that is happening around the world and is better prepared for the future. The other type never cares about what is happening around them, lest around the world. But, does the former type of people really know everything happening around the world and where the world is heading, and can the latter survive if they keep being ignorant of the world around them? This book 21 lessons for the 21st century gives you a lot of questions and some meaningful answers which we will discuss in this review.
About the book
This book was the 3rd book by the author that discusses 21 lessons in an attempt to answer them. The book has criticized many stories, religions, and ideas and tried to give the readers a clear view of what is happening at present around the world and what may be in the future. However, the future is only maybes and not the exact assumption as no one knows what will be 2050 or 2100 like. That too with the evolution and research taking place in bio-genetics and Artificial Intelligence.
Why should one read this book?
This book 21 Lessons for the 21st century helps us to think about many things that going on in the world and forces us to break our shell of ignorance. And most importantly it makes everyone question their ideas on religious beliefs and nationalist ideas and many other ideas that we believe to be true. From work to meditation, there are many insights have been shared by the author, and because of this very reason, we feel that everyone should read this book.
Some of the lessons from 21 lessons for the 21st century
- Most of the jobs 20 years ago have been replaced by Machines and AI now. And it was easy to find a new job before 20 years. If this is the scenario after 20 or 30 years, how many manual jobs will be available to humans, and what is really the best course or job to look for?
- In today’s world, big data is watching us. Amazon, Google, and many other technologies are running faster to hack our brains so that they can sell their products and make us buy them. Will we be able to run faster than them? And how long it will take to monitor our entire life, every day, 24/7?
- When some people tell us to listen to ourselves, are we really listening to ourselves or the self which has been already moulded according to the advertisements and the social media feeds we see?
- If you really want to know about yourself and your mind, meditation is the best way. We still have a chance before AI gets control over our minds.
About the Author
Yuval Noah Harari is a historian and his first book Homo Sapiens is a bestseller. He has also written a book about whether can humankind come to rule the planet. He is basically from Israel working at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has written many articles and theses related to history and many other things. He spends most of his time sharing his knowledge voluntarily in most parts of the world.
Conclusion
Being sold about 6 million copies worldwide, this book encourages us to ponder over questions such as what is the real problem now? What should we focus on now? Do we really have control over our lives? How should we prepare ourselves or our children to prepare for the future? We definitely recommend everyone read this book at least once.
amar.sharma0424 (verified owner) –
Must Read
With a simple narrative, Yuval Noah Harari, one of the most innovative thinkers of our times, envisions the most profound changes expected in our lifetime. Simply Brilliant! My next must read will be Homo Deus & Sapiens.