What's a good read?
I have watched a scene from Inside Bill’s Brain on Netflix where he carried an eco bag to work, and I thought, how humble of him to bring home-made lunch when he can afford to order gourmet everyday. Then I’ve been surprised to find out that the bag actually contained food for the brain – books! This has prompted my hunt for Bill Gate’s recommended reads. I have a silly thought that by reading his favorite books, even a small part of my brain will have something in common with Bill Gates 
Yuval Harari presents complex ideas in an unintimidating and engaging way albeit on a superficial level. In a nutshell, the book enumerates the developmental milestones of our species starting from our birth 2.5 million years ago, our career shift from hunter-gatherers to farmers, our first use of language, coins, gunpowder, vote ballot and their implications in society, and a quick tour from the Agricultural, Industrial, and Cognitive Revolution to the modern technological era. It will touch on polytheism then jump to capitalism, without diving into too much details. Indeed, it is only a brief history in 20 chapters so I don’t understand the frustration of scholars who criticize him for missing out on significant historical events. Harari is an Oxford graduate & history professor and that alone makes him credible.
What I love most about the author is his courageous and uncensored delivery of a fact: “The polytheistic Romans killed no more than a few thousand Christians. In contrast, over the course of the next 1,500 years, Christians slaughtered by the millions to defend slightly different interpretations of the religion of love and compassion.” Whereas majority of the writers I have encountered simply omit or sugarcoat the bloody history of the crusaders, Yuval Harari has the guts to say it matter-of-factly. This is what I’m looking for in history books – an UNPREJUDICED account of the spread of religion (by wiping out existing ones). It is provoking but I believe that in order to understand humankind and not commit the same mistakes, we must face our humiliating past.
To fellow readers, this is not a light read. The book can be overwhelming but the information is divided into short 2-3 page main topics. Allow them to sink in, process them, and Google if you want an elaboration. This book makes us appreciate our roots and discern our destiny as a species.
About the Guest Writer:
PJ is a physician who has developed an insatiable hunger for knowledge through books after battling cancer. She wishes to live a hundred lives and visit numerous cultures by indulging on history, historical fiction, biography, spirituality, and well-being. On her Facebook page Mientras Tanto, she shares book reviews and provoking insights, and urges people to pause for a while and appreciate profundity of life.
*This book review was originally published on the Mientras Tanto Facebook page on January 31st, 2020.