Book review- 21 Lessons for the 21st Century Book by Yuval Noah Harari


'A wise old man was asked what he learned about the meaning of life.
‘Well,’ he answered, ‘I have learned that I am here on earth in order to help other people. I still haven’t figured out why the other people are here.’

Liberty, equality, community, civilisation- what does this all mean? 
Are we ever free or just merely posing for the same? 
Are we reliving the matrix world (the movie)… what about our thinking system…are we independent there?

This is an utterly fantastic book, the second book I have read by Yuval Harari. It is a perfect book to challenge everything around us…be it the information read, seen or heard, or individual core beliefs.. it opens our minds and broadens our horizons.

The book validates one perspective of mine, i.e., the information is slowly converting into a humongous amount of data, making it impossible to focus on anything in particular, leading our mind into a 'paralytic zone'.

The book indicates that, as humans, we have to give up on our selfish and narrow approaches and think of matters from the bigger perspective to view things in totality. Because, as stated by Harari, we have this remarkable ability to know and not to know at the same time.

21 Lessons for the 21st Century is a book that looks to the future. Harari urges us to uncover our biases and verify our information sources. Harari warns us against “our own stupidity”.He invites scientists to be part of the political debate and make their voices heard. He shares that observing the mind through meditation helped him in his quest to gain more clarity about reality and the causes of suffering, which he explains should be the main questions humanity should focus on.

So, if, as a reader, you want to challenge your “futuristic views,” it is a perfect read as it bluntly asks for preparation against upcoming threats from so-called technological advancement.

Quotes

“People rarely appreciate their ignorance because they lock themselves inside an echo chamber of like-minded friends and self-confirming news feeds, where their beliefs are constantly reinforced and seldom challenged.”

“It is much harder to struggle against irrelevance than against exploitation.

“It is healthier for us to have questions we cannot answer than to have answers we cannot question.”

“Every religion, ideology, and creed has its shadow, and no matter which creeds you follow, you should acknowledge your shadow.”

“Feelings are thus not the opposite of rationality - they embody evolutionary rationality.”

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