Book · recommended on 15 episodes
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah Harari ISBN 6055029731
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Yuval Noah Harari ISBN 6055029731
Find it on AmazonAffiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
This book by Yuval Noah Harari has come up 15 times across 4 different shows: Diary of a CEO, Joe Rogan, Lex Fridman, Tim Ferriss. 9 of those mentions were genuine on-air recommendations, not just passing references. The people who brought it up: Derek Wolfe, Lex Fridman, Naval Ravikant, Norman Ohler, Reed Hastings, Sebastian Junger. The earliest mention we indexed is from 2020-06-15 and the most recent from 2025-09-19. Every occurrence below links to the episode page and to the exact second it was said on YouTube.
From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution, a 1 international bestseller, that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.” One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one, homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr.
“Like Sapiens by Harari, which is a great book, he also misses that.”— Norman Ohler
The guest here is Norman Ohler: German novelist and non-fiction author of Blitzed, Tripped, and The Bohemians. He researches the role of drugs in history using primary archival sources and is working on a new book, Stoned Sapiens, about human civilization through the lens of drugs. Norman Ohler reveals how methamphetamine fueled Nazi Blitzkrieg and how Hitler's opioid addiction warped his wartime decisions.
“I was thinking about sapiens and the role that stories play um in engaging our brains”— Steven Bartlett
The guest here is Yuval Noah Harari: Historian and author of some of the most influential non-fiction books in the world (Sapiens, Homo Deus, Nexus). Trained in medieval military history, he now focuses on the long-term history of information networks and the societal impact of AI. Yuval Noah Harari argues AI's real danger is human delusion and divided societies, not robots, and that democracy now hinges on trustworthy institutions.
“have you read the book species yes yeah that book changed my life very very interesting right”— Derek Wolfe
The guest here is Derek Wolfe: Former NFL defensive lineman and Super Bowl champion (Denver Broncos), now an obsessive bow hunter, podcaster and Denver sports-radio host. Former NFL lineman Derek Wolfe on football's brutality, microdosing mushrooms before games, bow-hunting a record mountain lion, and surviving a violent childhood.
“I also recently read sapiens by a guy named Harari which is just phenomenal I'm going to give that thing over and over again to everyone I know”— Sebastian Junger
The guest here is Jocko Willink and Sebastian Junger: Jocko Willink: retired US Navy SEAL officer, Silver and Bronze Star recipient, co-author of Extreme Ownership, host of the Jocko Podcast, and CEO of Echelon Front. Sebastian Junger: Peabody award-winning journalist, author of five New York Times bestsellers including The Perfect Storm and War, and documentarian behind Restrepo. Tim Ferriss revisits two favorite conversations: Jocko Willink on leadership and discipline, and Sebastian Junger on war, tribe, and PTSD.
“on the more human side, Sapiens, Yuval Harari's book of sort of the meaning of life and understanding the big picture, is extraordinary”— Reed Hastings
The guest here is Reed Hastings: Co-founder and former 25-year CEO of Netflix, now executive chairman; founder of Pure Software and owner of Powder Mountain ski resort; longtime education philanthropist. Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings unpacks culture, candor, the keeper test, and his uncrowded ski venture Powder Mountain.
“author of several highly acclaimed highly influential books including sapiens homodeus and 21 lessons for the 21st century”— Lex Fridman
The guest here is Yuval Noah Harari: Historian, philosopher, and bestselling author of Sapiens, Homo Deus, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. An outspoken critic of Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's right-wing government. Historian Yuval Noah Harari on how stories rule humanity, why AI is an alien intelligence that could enslave us, and where real meaning lives.
“this actually is a corollary to that which is sapiens and i know that's a very normal normie answer”— guest
The guest here is Saagar Enjeti: DC-based political correspondent, co-host of Rising with Krystal Ball and The Realignment podcast. A self-described book nerd who has interviewed Donald Trump four times and studies power, history, and the presidency. Political correspondent Saagar Enjeti dissects power, charisma, the broken political pipeline, and the future of journalism with Lex Fridman.
“his popular books might ring a bell sapiens a brief history of humankind homo deus a brief history of tomorrow and 21 lessons for the 21st century”— Tim Ferriss
The guest here is Yuval Noah Harari: Historian and best-selling author of Sapiens, Homo Deus, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, considered one of the world's most influential public intellectuals. A longtime Vipassana meditation practitioner who has now adapted Sapiens into a graphic novel series. Yuval Noah Harari on meditation, the fictional stories that bind humanity, suffering as a test of reality, and the existential risks ahead.
“a brand new graphic novel series in collaboration with comic artists david van der meulen i think co-writer and daniel casanave the illustrator”— Tim Ferriss
The guest here is Yuval Noah Harari: Historian and best-selling author of Sapiens, Homo Deus, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, considered one of the world's most influential public intellectuals. A longtime Vipassana meditation practitioner who has now adapted Sapiens into a graphic novel series. Yuval Noah Harari on meditation, the fictional stories that bind humanity, suffering as a test of reality, and the existential risks ahead.
“the original english version was titled from animals into gods and it sold it was a self-publication on amazon and it sold something like 2000 copies”— Yuval Noah Harari
The guest here is Yuval Noah Harari: Historian and best-selling author of Sapiens, Homo Deus, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, considered one of the world's most influential public intellectuals. A longtime Vipassana meditation practitioner who has now adapted Sapiens into a graphic novel series. Yuval Noah Harari on meditation, the fictional stories that bind humanity, suffering as a test of reality, and the existential risks ahead.
“i'm with uh a harare with the sapiens that we're kind of we seem to construct ideas on top of each other and that's a fundamentally a social process absolutely i think that's a fine book”— guest
The guest here is Sheldon Solomon: Social psychologist at Skidmore College and co-developer of Terror Management Theory. He co-authored 'The Worm at the Core' and built decades of experiments on how mortality awareness shapes human behavior, extending the ideas of Ernest Becker. Social psychologist Sheldon Solomon argues the fear of death secretly drives nearly everything humans build, believe, and destroy.
“yuval harari is just i think that can open your mind sapiens sapiens as the first one homo deuce is the second”— guest
The guest here is Russ Tedrake: Roboticist, MIT professor, and VP of robotics research at Toyota Research Institute. Known for underactuated robotics, control theory, MIT's DARPA Robotics Challenge team, and the Drake simulator. MIT roboticist Russ Tedrake on why robots should embrace contact, softness, and physics instead of fighting gravity.
“sapiens by you've all know aa Harare a history of the human species with observations frameworks and mental models that will have you looking at history differently”— Naval Ravikant
The guest here is Naval Ravikant, Susan Cain, and Yuval Noah Harari: A compilation of three Tribe of Mentors profiles. Naval Ravikant is CEO and co-founder of AngelList and a prolific angel investor; Susan Cain is the bestselling author of Quiet and co-founder of Quiet Revolution; Yuval Noah Harari is a historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and author of Sapiens and Homo Deus. Tim Ferriss introduces Tribe of Mentors, then shares profiles of Naval Ravikant, Susan Cain, and Yuval Noah Harari.
“you've all know a Harare is the author of the international bestseller sapiens a brief history of humankind and homo Deus a brief history of tomorrow”— Tim Ferriss
The guest here is Naval Ravikant, Susan Cain, and Yuval Noah Harari: A compilation of three Tribe of Mentors profiles. Naval Ravikant is CEO and co-founder of AngelList and a prolific angel investor; Susan Cain is the bestselling author of Quiet and co-founder of Quiet Revolution; Yuval Noah Harari is a historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and author of Sapiens and Homo Deus. Tim Ferriss introduces Tribe of Mentors, then shares profiles of Naval Ravikant, Susan Cain, and Yuval Noah Harari.
“rave reviews of the books sapiens poor Charlie's Almanac influence and man's search for meaning among others”— Tim Ferriss
The guest here is Derek Sivers, BJ Miller, and Christopher Sommer: A compilation of three Tools of Titans profiles: Derek Sivers, the introverted musician-turned-philosopher who founded and sold CD Baby; BJ Miller, a triple-amputee palliative care physician who has guided roughly 1,000 deaths; and Christopher Sommer, a former US National Team gymnastics coach and founder of the Gymnastic Bodies strength-training system. Tim Ferriss narrates his Tools of Titans intro plus profiles of Derek Sivers, BJ Miller, and Christopher Sommer.
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