vintage 2025

Reading lists

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Features

Must-read books of 2024: A look back at the year’s most exciting releases

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The best books about AI

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What to read if you loved Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

Yuval Harari: Are politicians doing enough to prepare the world for the 21st Century?

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Interviews

Yuval Noah Harari: 'In a world deluged by irrelevant information, clarity is power.'

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Yuval Noah Harari: ‘In a world deluged by irrelevant information, clarity is power’

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Sapiens: a book club reading guide

Why the World Isn't Fair

Unstoppable Us Volume 2

*From the author of the multi-million bestselling Sapiens comes the next volume in the incredible story of the human race, for younger readers.* 
 
 
Something really strange happened 10,000 years ago, and it changed everything. 
 
Why did millions of people agree to obey a few leaders? Where did kings and kingdoms come from? 
 
The answer to that is one of the strangest tales you'll ever hear. And it's a true story. 
 
Have you ever wondered how we got here? From gathering berries and hunting mammoths, to shopping at supermarkets and letting people tell us what to do? 
 
You might hear a lot of people say 'the world isn't fair'. But why isn't it? And how did it become so? 
 
In Unstoppable Us: Volume 1, we learned how humans told stories to become rulers of the world - for good and bad. Now, in this next chapter of the incredible true tale of the Unstoppables, find out how we learned to control animals like dogs, chicken and cows . . . 
 
And how a handful of humans learned to control everyone else. 
 
With full-colour illustrations showing the relentless rise and rise of the human race, this is history like you've never experienced it before.

Yuval Noah Harari (Author) 
Prof Yuval Noah Harari has a PhD in History from the University of Oxford and now lectures at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, specialising in World History. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind has become an international phenomenon attracting a legion of fans from Bill Gates and Barack Obama to Chris Evans and Jarvis Cocker, and is published in 65 languages worldwide. It was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller and was in the Top Ten for over nine months in paperback. His follow-up to Sapiens, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow was also a Top Ten Bestseller and was described by the Guardian as 'even more readable, even more important, than his excellent Sapiens'. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, was a Number One Bestseller and was described by Bill Gates as 'fascinating' and 'crucial'. Harari worked closely with renowned comics illustrator Daniel Casanave and co-writer David Vandermeulen to create his latest book, an adaptation of his first bestseller, Sapiens Graphic Novel: Volume 1.

Something really strange happened 10,000 years ago, and it changed everything. 
 
Why did millions of people agree to obey a few leaders? Where did kings and kingdoms come from? 
 
The answer to that is one of the strangest tales you'll ever hear. And it's a true story. 
 
Have you ever wondered how we got here? From gathering berries and hunting mammoths, to shopping at supermarkets and letting people tell us what to do? 
 
You might hear a lot of people say 'the world isn't fair'. But why isn't it? And how did it become so? 
 
In Unstoppable Us: Volume 1, we learned how humans told stories to become rulers of the world - for good and bad. Now, in this next chapter of the incredible true tale of the Unstoppables, find out how humans learned to control animals like dogs, chicken and cows . . . 
 
And how a handful of humans learned to control everyone else. 
 
With full-colour illustrations showing the relentless rise and rise of the human race, this is history like you've never experienced it before.

The Masters of History

Sapiens A Graphic History, Volume 3

Sometimes history seems like a laundry list of malevolent monarchs, pompous presidents and dastardly dictators. But are they really the ones in the driving seat? 
 
Sapiens: A Graphic History Volume 3 – The Masters of History takes us on a hilarious ride through the past to discover the forces that change our world, bring us together, and – just as often – tear us apart. 
 
Grab a front-row seat to the greatest show on earth and explore the rise of money, religion and empire. Join our fabulous host Heroda Tush, as she wonders: which historical superhero will display the power to make civilisations rise and fall? Will Mr Random prove that luck and circumstance prevail? Will Lady Empire convince us of the irrefutable shaping force of conquerors? Or will Clashwoman beat them all to greatness by reminding us of the endless confrontations that seem to forever plague our species? 
 
This third instalment in the Sapiens: A Graphic History series is an engaging, insightful, and colourful retelling of the story of humankind. 
 
Praise for Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens: 
 
'I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who's interested in the history and future of our species.' Bill Gates 
 
'Interesting and provocative . . . It gives you a sense of how briefly we've been on this Earth' Barack Obama 
 
'Jaw-dropping from the first word to the last . . . It may be the best book I've ever read' Chris Evans

Yuval Noah Harari (Author) 
Prof. Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, philosopher and the global bestselling author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, the graphic adaptation series Sapiens: A Graphic History, and Unstoppable Us, his first series of books for children. His books have sold over 45 million copies in 65 languages, with Sapiens alone selling 25 million copies since it was first published in 2013. A New York Times and Sunday Times #1 bestseller, Sapiens spent an incredible 96 consecutive weeks in the top 3 of the Sunday Times bestseller list. Yuval Noah Harari is also behind Sapienship – an international social impact company focused on education and storytelling, which he co-founded with his husband Itzik Yahav. Harari is considered one of the world’s most influential public intellectuals today.

Sometimes history seems like a laundry list of malevolent monarchs, pompous presidents and dastardly dictators. But are they really the ones in the driving seat? Sapiens: A Graphic History – The Masters of History takes us on an immersive and hilarious ride through the human past to discover the forces that change our world, bring us together, and – just as often – tear us apart. 
 
Grab a front-row seat to the greatest show on earth and explore the rise of money, religion and empire. Join our fabulous host Heroda Tush, as she wonders: which historical superhero will display the power to make civilisations rise and fall? Will Mr Random prove that luck and circumstance prevail? Will Lady Empire convince us of the irrefutable shaping force of conquerors? Or will Clashwoman beat them all to greatness by reminding us of the endless confrontations that seem to forever plague our species? 
 
In this next volume of the bestselling graphic series, Yuval Noah Harari, David Vandermeulen and Daniel Casanave continue to present the complicated story of humankind with wit, empathy and originality. Alongside the unlikely cast of new characters, we are rejoined by the familiar faces of Yuval, Zoe, Professor Saraswati, Bill and Cindy (now Romans), Skyman and Captain Dollar. As they travel through time, space and human drama in search of truth, it's impossible not to wonder: why can’t we all just get along? 
 
This third instalment in the Sapiens: A Graphic History series is an engaging, insightful, and colourful retelling of the story of humankind for curious minds of all ages, and can be browsed through on its own or read in sequence with Volumes One and Two. 
 
Praise for Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens: 
 
'I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who's interested in the history and future of our species.' Bill Gates 
 
'Interesting and provocative . . . It gives you a sense of how briefly we've been on this Earth' Barack Obama 
 
'Jaw-dropping from the first word to the last . . . It may be the best book I've ever read' Chris Evans 
 
'Contains a remarkable piece of information on almost every page and reminds us that we should be grateful to be human.' Matt Haig 
 
'Sweeps the cobwebs out of your brain . . . Radiates power and clarity, making the world strange and new' Sunday Times 'Provocative and fascinating and opinionated...it makes the familiar seem unfamiliar. It altered how I view our species and our world.' Guardian

How Humans Took Over the World, from the author of the multi-million bestselling Sapiens

Unstoppable Us, Volume 1

*From the author of the multi-million bestselling Sapiens comes an incredible new story of the human race, for younger readers.* 
 
We humans aren't strong like lions, we don't swim as well as dolphins, and we definitely don't have wings! So how did we end up ruling the world? 
 
The answer to that is one of the strangest tales you'll ever hear. And it's a true story . . . 
 
Have you ever wondered how we got here? From hunting mammoths, to flying to the moon? 
 
It is because we are unstoppable. But what made us so? Well, we have the most amazing superpower: the ability to tell stories. Fairy tales have led us from imagining ghosts and spirits to being able to create money (yes, really!). 
 
And this has made us very powerful . . . but very deadly. Nothing stands in our way, and we always want more. 
 
So get ready for the most amazing story there ever was - the incredible true tale of the Unstoppables. Find out how fire shrank our stomachs, how our ancestors spoke to animals, what football can tell us about being human, how we used our superpower for good and bad . . . and how YOU have the superpower to change the world. 
 
With full-colour illustrations showing the relentless rise and rise of the human race, this is history like you've never experienced it before.

We humans aren't strong like lions, we don't swim as well as dolphins, and we definitely don't have wings! So how did we end up ruling the world? 
 
The answer to that is one of the strangest tales you'll ever hear. And it's a true story . . . 
 
Have you ever wondered how we got here? From hunting mammoths, to flying to the moon? 
 
It is because we are unstoppable. But what made us so? Well, we have the most amazing superpower: the ability to tell stories. Fairy tales have led us from imagining ghosts and spirits to being able to create money (yes, really!). 
 
And this has made us very powerful . . . but very deadly. Nothing stands in our way, and we always want more. 
 
So get ready for the most amazing story there ever was - the incredible true tale of the Unstoppables. Find out how fire shrank our stomachs, how our ancestors spoke to animals, what football can tell us about being human, how we used our superpower for good and bad . . . and how YOU have the superpower to change the world. 
 
With full-colour illustrations showing the relentless rise and rise of the human race, this is history like you've never experienced it before.

A Brief History of Humankind

Sapiens

THE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLER

A Brief History of Humankind (10 Year Anniversary Edition)

Sapiens is a starburst of a book, as enjoyable as it is stimulating

Unforgettably vivid language. I urge everyone to read it

A fantastic book about how homo sapiens came to conquer the world

A beautiful new hardback anniversary edition of the multi-million copy sensation 
 
INCLUDES A NEW AFTERWORD FROM YUVAL NOAH HARARI 
 
What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens? 
 
One of the world's preeminent historians and thinkers, Yuval Noah Harari challenges everything we know about being human. Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it: us. 
 
In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we're going. 
 
PRAISE FOR SAPIENS: 
 
'Interesting and provocative... It gives you a sense of how briefly we've been on this Earth' Barack Obama 
 
'Jaw-dropping from the first word to the last... It may be the best book I've ever read' Chris Evans 
 
'Startling... It changes the way you look at the world' Simon Mayo 
 
'I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who's interested in the history and future of our species' Bill Gates 
 
 
Yuval Noah Harari's books have sold over 2 million copies sold since publication [Nielsen BookScan UK, Circana BookScan US, April 2024]

The Pillars of Civilization

Sapiens A Graphic History, Volume 2

Discover the second volume of an epic, beautifully illustrated graphic history of humankind, based on Yuval Noah Harari's multi-million copy bestselling phenomenon. 
 
When nomadic Homo sapiens settled to live in one place, they started working harder and harder. But why didn't they get a better life in return? 
 
In The Pillars of Civilization, Yuval Noah Harari and his companions including Prof. Saraswati and Dr. Fiction travel the length and breadth of human history to investigate how the Agricultural Revolution changed society forever. Discover how wheat took over the world, how war, famine, disease and inequality became a part of the human condition, and why we might only have ourselves to blame. 
 
The origins of modern farming are told through Elizabethan tragedy, the changing fortunes of domesticated plants and animals are tracked in the columns of the Daily Business News, and the history of inequality is revealed in a superhero detective story. 
 
A radical, witty and colourful retelling of the story of humankind, adapted from Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Volume 2 can be read as a standalone or as a follow-up to Volume 1, The Birth of Humankind. 
 
Praise for Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens: 
 
'I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who's interested in the history and future of our species.' Bill Gates 
 
'Interesting and provocative... It gives you a sense of how briefly we've been on this Earth' Barack Obama 
 
'Jaw-dropping from the first word to the last... It may be the best book I've ever read' Chris Evans 
 
'Contains a remarkable piece of information on almost every page and reminds us that we should be grateful to be human.' Matt Haig 
 
'Sweeps the cobwebs out of your brain... Radiates power and clarity, making the world strange and new' Sunday Times 
 
'Provocative and fascinating and opinionated...it makes the familiar seem unfamiliar. It altered how I view our species and our world.' Guardian

The Birth of Humankind

Sapiens A Graphic History, Volume 1

The first volume of the graphic adaptation of Yuval Noah Harari's global phenomenon and smash SUNDAY TIMES #1 BESTSELLER. Featuring 256 pages of gorgeous full-colour illustrations and wrapped in a beautiful package. 
 
 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? 
 
 In this first volume of the adaptation of his ground-breaking book, renowned historian Yuval Harari tells the story of humankind's creation and evolution, exploring the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be "human". From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens challenges us to reconsider accepted beliefs, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and view specific events within the context of larger ideas. 
 
 Featuring easy-to-understand text covering the first part of the original edition, this adaptation of the mind-expanding book furthers the ongoing conversation as it introduces Harari's ideas to a wider new readership. 
 
 '[A] wonderful graphic novel... Smart, funny and dipped deep in the reality of what we as a species are...' Big Issue *Books of the Year*

[A] wonderful graphic novel... Smart, funny and dipped deep in the reality of what we as a species are... Crammed with the details that made the original so jaw-dropping and essential.

The best-selling book by Yuval Noah Harari has been beautifully adapted into a graphic novel just in time for Christmas. The story of humankind is told through the delicate illustrations, bringing science and history together to help us understand how Homo sapiens came to inhabit the Earth.

In case there's any household in the nation that doesn't yet own a copy of Yuval Noah Harari's zillion-selling Sapiens...there's now a zippy new digest of the book in comics form... An imaginative and prankish gallop through human prehistory.

Fantastic... Even more approachable than the original book.

Bringing that fascinating story of our collective history to life in an entirely new way... [Sapiens Graphic Novel is] action-packed... Brilliantly funny.

Lively, engaging... Transforms humanity's complex evolutionary story into something accessible enough for anyone to enjoy.

Shortly before the pandemic, I read Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. It's not an exaggeration to say I've thought of it every day since.

[Sapiens] has been one of the most spectacular publishing successes of the past decade.

Harari's out-of-the-box thinking is arguably his greatest strength... These theories are what moves history forward, and what makes the book so engaging for an astonishing number of people.

Sapiens is an epic history of humankind, at once readable and wise and compelling and thought-provoking... A breath of fresh air.

Perfect for younger readers... [and] filled with lively characters.

Prof Yuval Noah Harari has a PhD in History from the University of Oxford and now lectures at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, specialising in World History. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind has become an international phenomenon attracting a legion of fans from Bill Gates and Barack Obama to Chris Evans and Jarvis Cocker, and is published in sixty languages worldwide. It was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller and was in the Top Ten for over nine months in paperback. His follow-up to Sapiens, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow was also a Top Ten Bestseller and was described by the Guardian as 'even more readable, even more important, than his excellent Sapiens'. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, was a Number One Bestseller and was described by Bill Gates as 'fascinating' and 'crucial'. Harari worked closely with renowned comics illustrator Daniel Casanave and co-writer David Vandermeulen to create his latest book, an adaptation of his first bestseller, Sapiens Graphic Novel: Volume 1.

The first volume of the graphic adaptation of Yuval Noah Harari's global phenomenon and smash Sunday Times #1 bestseller, with gorgeous full-colour illustrations and a beautiful package - the perfect gift for the curious beings in your life. 
 
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? 
 
In this first volume of the full-colour illustrated adaptation of his groundbreaking book, renowned historian Yuval Harari tells the story of humankind's creation and evolution, exploring the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be "human". From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens challenges us to reconsider accepted beliefs, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and view specific events within the context of larger ideas. 
 
Featuring 256 pages of full-colour illustrations and easy-to-understand text covering the first part of the full-length original edition, this adaptation of the mind-expanding book furthers the ongoing conversation as it introduces Harari's ideas to a wider new readership.

Yuval Noah Harari

Vidish Athavale

Yuval Noah Harari is the undisputed maestro of the big idea . . . Nobody can pull of a big theory as suavely as he can

[Harari] sticks the world together in a gleaming shape that inspires and excites

[A] thoughtful book . . . An important perspective at a time when the info-wars seem likely to only get worse

[Harari] makes fun of people like myself who saw more information as always a good thing . . . I would basically say he’s right and I was wrong

Engrossing . . . A diagnosis and a call to action . . . If [Nexus] sells anywhere near as well as Sapiens did, we’ll be that bit better equipped as a species to deal with the rise of the machines

A useful, well-informed primer . . . Wise and bold

A historian whose arguments operate on the scale of millennia has managed to capture the zeitgeist perfectly . . . Harari's narrative is engaging, and his framing is strikingly original

One of our foremost big-picture thinkers about the grand sweep of humanity, history and the future

Tremendous, thought-provoking and so very well reasoned. Harari gives us a vision of a rapidly approaching future that is at one and the same time thrilling and chilling. If there is one book that I would urge everyone to read – our political, corporate and cultural leaders most especially – it is Nexus

[Harari] connects past and future in a way that’s both enlightening and a little eerie. Nexus isn’t just a critique of technology; it’s a reflection on how we’ve always been vulnerable to those who control information. It’s a wake-up call in the gentlest, most urgent way

Harari has a unique ability to unite both history’s finest details and its grandest megatrends in a single view. This deeply important book comes at a critical time as we all think through the implications of AI

Harari is one of the most remarkable intellects of our generation – bold, original, erudite, provocative and entrancing. His latest book reimagines everything from literacy to AI and – like all his books – fundamentally shifts one’s view of the world

[An] always rewarding, often alarming book

Nexus is an important book and comes at an important time in human history

Nexus is ambitious, bold and, at times, unsettling . . . For anyone interested in the intersection of history, technology and power, Harari once again provokes deep thought

Nexus will challenge your core beliefs about technology and information while leaving you grateful for the experience

DR JOY BUOLAMWINI, author of UNMASKING AI

In Nexus, Yuval Noah Harari uses information networks as the backbone of human evolution, offering profound insights into how technological progress reshapes our social structures and individual lives. His unique perspectives and deep understanding of the age of artificial intelligence is especially pertinent in the current wave of transformations driven by generative AI. The book urges us to reassess the relationship between humans and AI and how we can ensure that technological progress serves the greater good for humanity

A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI

The story of how information networks have made, and unmade, our world from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Sapiens. 
 
For the last 100,000 years, we Sapiens have accumulated enormous power. But despite all our discoveries, inventions and conquests, we now find ourselves in an existential crisis. The world is on the verge of ecological collapse. Misinformation abounds. And we are rushing headlong into the age of AI – a new information network that threatens to annihilate us. If we are so wise, why are we so self-destructive? 
 
NEXUS considers how the flow of information has shaped us, and our world. Taking us from the Stone Age through the Bible, early modern witch-hunts, Stalinism, Nazism and the resurgence of populism today, Yuval Noah Harari asks us to consider the complex relationship between information and truth, bureaucracy and mythology, wisdom and power. He explores how different societies and political systems have wielded information to achieve their goals, for good and ill. And he addresses the urgent choices we face as non-human intelligence threatens our very existence. 
 
Information is not the raw material of truth; neither is it a mere weapon. NEXUS explores the hopeful middle ground between these extremes, and of rediscovering our shared humanity.

Yuval Noah Harari

Praise for Nexus

Yuval Noah Harari is the undisputed maestro of the big idea . . . Nobody can pull of a big theory as suavely as he can

[Harari] sticks the world together in a gleaming shape that inspires and excites

A superb narrative writer

Yuval Noah Harari is the undisputed maestro of the big idea . . . Nobody can pull of a big theory as suavely as he can

[Harari] sticks the world together in a gleaming shape that inspires and excites

A superb narrative writer

Yuval Noah Harari is the undisputed maestro of the big idea . . . Nobody can pull of a big theory as suavely as he can

[Harari] sticks the world together in a gleaming shape that inspires and excites

A superb narrative writer

Books by Yuval Noah Harari

Series by Yuval Noah Harari

SAPIENS: A GRAPHIC HISTORY3 Books

Unstoppable Us2 Books

Articles featuring Yuval Noah Harari

Read more in 2025 with these Vintage picks

Must-read books of 2024: A look back at the year’s most exciting releases

The best books about AI

What to read if you loved Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

Yuval Harari: Are politicians doing enough to prepare the world for the 21st Century?

Yuval Noah Harari: ‘In a world deluged by irrelevant information, clarity is power’

Sapiens: a book club reading guide

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