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DID NOT FINISH
DNF'd on: February 26th, 2020
DNF'd on: Page 194 (39%)
Sapiens wasn’t a fun time. I learned the hard way that I have an extreme distaste for pop-science non-fiction. While Harari’s writing was smooth I found the tone of his writing condescending and struggled to care about what this book was about.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind is exactly what it says on the tin. Harari takes us through human history, breaking down exactly what makes Homo Sapiens oh so special and disseminating humanity’s biggest hits in an easily digestible fashion. Well, I’m assuming that’s what this book was about I only got to the beginnings of the agricultural revolution before I had to stop reading this book.
One of the biggest reasons I couldn’t continue reading Sapiens was Harari’s authorial voice. This is a very personal criticism and I’m sure most people won’t take issue with this, but Harari discussed scientific theory through the lens of a historian and I found it very frustrating. Harari oftentimes discussed theory as fact with only a cursory acknowledgment that the things he was discussing were just theories. He spoke with a level of authority that I don’t think was his place given that he wasn’t a scientist and it just made me very uncomfortable.
I also just didn’t like his tone in general. It read as condescending and a little bit smarmy at times. I think Harari is generally a good writer and knows how to craft an interesting narrative, but occasionally his attempts to relate to the reader just fell flat for me.
Finally, I think I just had a lack of interest in the subject of this book. I found myself wondering as I read section after section of this book “Why am I reading this?”. I picked this book up not because I had any real desire to delve deep into the broad strokes of human history but because it was popular. I’ve discovered through attempting to read this book that this isn’t my kind of history and I’m glad I know to avoid them now.
Overall, I don’t have any hard feelings towards this book. Most of my problems with it are personal preference rather than any lack in quality on Harari’s part. I’d like to see this experience as a step towards discovering the non-fiction I love reading.
DNF'd on: Page 194 (39%)
Sapiens wasn’t a fun time. I learned the hard way that I have an extreme distaste for pop-science non-fiction. While Harari’s writing was smooth I found the tone of his writing condescending and struggled to care about what this book was about.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind is exactly what it says on the tin. Harari takes us through human history, breaking down exactly what makes Homo Sapiens oh so special and disseminating humanity’s biggest hits in an easily digestible fashion. Well, I’m assuming that’s what this book was about I only got to the beginnings of the agricultural revolution before I had to stop reading this book.
One of the biggest reasons I couldn’t continue reading Sapiens was Harari’s authorial voice. This is a very personal criticism and I’m sure most people won’t take issue with this, but Harari discussed scientific theory through the lens of a historian and I found it very frustrating. Harari oftentimes discussed theory as fact with only a cursory acknowledgment that the things he was discussing were just theories. He spoke with a level of authority that I don’t think was his place given that he wasn’t a scientist and it just made me very uncomfortable.
I also just didn’t like his tone in general. It read as condescending and a little bit smarmy at times. I think Harari is generally a good writer and knows how to craft an interesting narrative, but occasionally his attempts to relate to the reader just fell flat for me.
Finally, I think I just had a lack of interest in the subject of this book. I found myself wondering as I read section after section of this book “Why am I reading this?”. I picked this book up not because I had any real desire to delve deep into the broad strokes of human history but because it was popular. I’ve discovered through attempting to read this book that this isn’t my kind of history and I’m glad I know to avoid them now.
Overall, I don’t have any hard feelings towards this book. Most of my problems with it are personal preference rather than any lack in quality on Harari’s part. I’d like to see this experience as a step towards discovering the non-fiction I love reading.