Reviewing and Criticizing the Translation of the Book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Vahdati Nasab, Hamed

doi:10.30465/crtls.2019.4062

Reviewing and Criticizing the Translation of the Book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Document Type : Research

Author

Hamed Vahdati Nasab

Associate Professor, Department of Archeology, Tarbiat Modares University

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2019.4062

Abstract

The book of the Sapiens: a Brief History of Humankind is one of the studies categorized under the title of macro history in the world. The book is written by Yuval Noah Harari, one of the graduates of Jared Diamond's thinking school. Throughout the four major chapters of the book, with the titles Cognitive Revolution, Agricultural Revolution, Human Unity, and Scientific Revolution, the author has attempted to narrate the ups and downs of the story of human evolution since about 100,000 years ago to the modern age. Although the author, translator and editors all have a charming, engaging content, some content flaws have led to some criticism of the author's scholarly approach. Perhaps the most important criticism of the book is the over-simplification and little obsession with presenting models and dates. The author does not explain in any part of the book why he placed the origin of the cognitive revolution 70000 ago and not 50000 as the researchers’ literature. He also leaves the reader somewhat confused about the main character of the book (sapien). Whether the author's intention is homo sapiens or homo sapiens sapiens will never be determined.

Keywords

Sapiens

Cognitive Revolution

Agricultural Revolution

Intelligent Man

Macro History

Subjects

Archaeology

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