Yuval Noah Harari

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuval_Noah_Harari

The book is "Sapiens: A brief History of Humankind."

What is the evidence that humanoids have lived on this planet for 700,000 years?  Humans as we know them fro 20,000 years?  What about the greater overlap of time when Sapiens, Neanderthals and Homo Erectus lived together?  Was this analogous to Chimpanzees and Bonobos, where Chimps are lively, aggressive, intelligent and Bonobos are placid, matriarchal and less intelligent? 

Harari describes the various revolutions - agricultural, were the exchange was more control, predictability, planned economy, in exchange for a more relaxed lifestyle. 

Then navigating the major international changes.  The end of thousands if years of slave based economies.  Industrialisation, international emancipation of women after many many thousand years of oppression.  The end of the dominance of religion across the world.  The rise of 'isums'. 

He describes explanations based on global systemic changes, like paradigm shifts, working at many levels all at the same time. 

Western slavery came to an end with a combination of moral persuasion, changes in economic profit, slave resistance,  mechanisation (machines are cheaper than people.)  Harai points out, there was no deliberate subjugation of African for being African, it was to do with the lowness of capitalistic forces.  If I want to make a profit, I must cut my costs to beet competition, therefore I have to use slaves.  Just as empires used to say "you think we are bad, you should see what they do," capitalists say "we have to operate this way, or we won't survive, so we do it not as badly as the others."

Likewise with women's emancipation, within 100 years the whole of Europe and most of the world was treating half it's population with far more equality than nit had ever done.  Why?  The necessity for 'home maker' passed into history with organised western style states.  Women were needed in the work force.  Machines could take on the roles women were told was for them to do. 

Harari speaks kindly of religion, but sees it as part of an evolution of 'sense making' and shared identity and meaning.'  He rightly wonders whether future generations will want what is on offer now.  I feel he is most supportive of Buddhist creeds and behaviours.

I appreciate Harari contribution.  I like the holistic broad brush strokes.  I feel it is a book written from the top of a high pillar, with the expanse of time stretch out.