The more I read Sapiens, the more I am getting convinced that the author is a mind reader. For a really long time I’ve been wondering where history ends and biology begins. There was an interesting thought process that I read sometime back that “Dasavatar” actually explains evolution – starting from Fish (Sea based), Turtle (Amphibian), Boar (Terrestrial), Half human Half lion (early humans), pygmy and rest all evolved humans. And even in that, it explains an angry sage in Parasurama, Righteous king in Ram, Mighty Farmer in Balaram, Mischievous to the point of being cunning Krishna and finally the yet to come avatar in Kalki. Whether one agrees or disagrees, the thought process being that, if life formation is tracked as Biology, when does history begins? If Big Bang is the starting point for Biology, where does Physics begin? Sapiens has its starting point in obviously the Sapiens. But the way in which the author describes about food gatherers becoming food producers and how only selective crops became staple foods and when we talk of extinction of species we forget about the flora that got ruthlessly replaced because of this change in humans, all those points make amazing reading and very interesting thought process as well. The author also mentions Australia as if that had always been the last world to have been conquered, be it by early humans or for any changes that were triggered or carry forwarded by first visitors to the island continent. May be one point that I am yet to see in the book is about, how Australia might’ve have a land connect with rest of the continents and could the sapiens have existed then. May be logically, the land connect could’ve existed millennia before humans checked in and since it was very basic the author might’ve skipped it wholesome!! The way he picks every single major religion of the world impartially and explains how they might’ve grown in influence to their present form is nothing short of doing ballet on a bayonet. But somehow, when it comes to India, even though he mentions Hindu as a religion for mentioning the caste system, overall when he talks about Indian religions, he always quotes it as the land that gave Buddhism to the world. I was surprised to read that Zoroastrians were a dominant group once!! The author also shares a reflection on how the once major forces were now no longer in the picture.
This book deserves to be read multiple times and in bits and pieces as well!!!! Would have a series of posts on Sapiens for it’s a treasure trove of information.
This book deserves to be read multiple times and in bits and pieces as well!!!! Would have a series of posts on Sapiens for it’s a treasure trove of information.
Comments
As for Australia, all continents were one land mass for most of earth's history. Super continets have been more common for most of time - Gondwana and Pangaea being the latest, as recent as 180 million years ago, which is a tiny period, compared to 3.5 billion years of life on earth. But in modern times, Australia has been isloated, especially during the period complex life forms evolved, especially mammalian. Very unlikely that Australia had a land connection during period of homo sapiens' evolution which is just like yesterday in the cosmic time scale. Very likely homo sapiens reached Australia by sea.
I read this book over a period of 4 months - the longest I lingered on a book, no wonder. Was stuck by the evolution of the landscapes, human dynamics, time and cultures. I felt we are currently living in the uninteresting times - and the fact that the world has seen several millions of us in the past humbled me to a large extent: Pondering deeply, eons ago, man invented the first scientific breakthrough: fire and subsequently wheel. But who invented fire/wheel? We don't know. In the grand scheme of things, "you" and "me" are immaterial - only the "we" survives. I have become less anxious after the discovery :) (Not that I was super anxious before, either). So, spirituality (Which essentially is another dimension of science) is also inter-related with politics :)
It is a beautiful beautiful world, Gils. I am completely mesmerized by the intricacies. Lots of love!