Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

These days, it is a challenge to find someone who has not read Sapiens, Harari's astonishingly bold and popular global bestseller from 2014. Sapiens attempts to explain the whole history of mankind, from early versions of the species through to the globalised, gas-guzzling world of today, via the devising of agriculture, money, empire and industry. Yet is this honest history? Harari's story is a political one - an ecological polemic - that ultimately rails against humankind, and prefers to see our legacy as one of destruction rather than ingenuity and betterment. Zoe and Tom discuss the book's flaws and strengths.