Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

 

I often saw Sapiens recommended on various sites over the past few years and thought it sounded interesting, but other books had higher priority on my list. I finally ordered it online, using a Barnes & Noble gift-card (separate story on that at the end of the blog). When it arrived, it was like a textbook - thick and heavy.

Sapiens is a detailed account of humans, from the very beginning. He really covers everything: biology, religion, political structures, capitalism, happiness, and more. The book is in chronological order, taking the reader through what he describes as the Cognitive, Agricultural, and Scientific Revolutions. The book ends with a climactic prediction of where the future is going.

It is a very insightful book from a historical perspective. I certainly learned a lot. I found myself asking my wife "did you know..." quite a bit. The author makes many connections and tries to provide explanations linking one thing to the next. I believe those who write about history intertwine their own view at times, and one could make that argument in Sapiens, but I really appreciated the author admitting this at times and acknowledging the uncertainty.

The downside of this book is it is long and weighs a ton, which probably intimidates most readers. It honestly might be the heaviest book I have ever read. But once you open the book, it is an enjoyable, easy read with intermittent jokes and current day comparisons.

My rating for Sapiens: 4 stars out of 5. Get it here!

Bonus: Online ordering at Barnes & Noble. I have an affinity for Barnes & Noble as I used their cafe for years studying for exams. After finishing exams, I got a membership and prefer to buy books in person. With some of their recent changes, I have found it hard to find books I want in the store, so I thought I would give online ordering a shot since I was looking to add about 5 books to my collection. Their website was a disaster. I struggled to enter my membership number, I struggled to check out, I struggled to use a gift-card. I honestly wasn't sure my order went through. It pains me to say this, but I cannot recommend anyone order books online from Barnes & Noble. Hopefully they get their website figured out.

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old

 

This book was on my nightstand for most of 2020. I would pick it up, read a few pages, and then put it down. I always forgot where I was. I finally decided I needed to finish this book.

The book is a diary (literally daily journal entries) written by "Hendrik Groen", who is a resident in a retirement home. His musings are about daily life in the retirement home. An odd book, but it works. It is humorous, very real, and at times dark. But Hendrik makes the best of it. It is a uniquely written perspective into life on that side of the fence. 

Worth sharing that this is based in the Netherlands and was translated, so there are elements of vocabulary and things that are not customary in the U.S., but it is still easy to follow.

"Hendrik Groen" is in quotes above because there is no author listed in the book. Is Hendrik a real person? Or is this a work of fiction? After some Google searches, it is a work of fiction written by Peter de Smet, who is a librarian near retirement who has never written a book before. Pretty cool.

My rating for The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old: 3 stars out of 5. Get it here!

P.S. There is a follow up book, On the Bright Side, 85 Years Old.

Papillon by Henri Charriere

 

Papillon is an autobiography of a man sentenced to life in prison who continually tries to escape. He was convicted of life in prison in 1931 for a murder in Paris he claims he did not commit. He is sent to the penal colony of French Guiana. The book details the conditions, escapes, set backs, and eventual freedom.

The writing style is a bit choppy, although there are valid reasons for that - the book is set in the 1930s (written in the 1960s), it was translated from French, and the editors let Papillon's style of talking come through in the writing. It is a very long book, coming in at almost 550 pages. The book was very popular in France and eventually worldwide when it was released. The treacherous conditions are hard to fathom and was certainly eye-opening. Penal colonies are something worth researching if you don't know much about them. The story of escape is what captures the reader as you are constantly wondering how will he permanently escape.

This had potential to become a classic (and some may view it that way), but there are accusations that parts of his story are not his own. He was certainly a prisoner in French Guiana and he eventually escaped. But it seems he retold a few stories of other prisoners, escapes, and encounters as his own. On one hand, that is a disappointment, but on the other, these stories would never be heard without a masterful story line.

My rating for Papillon: 3 stars out of 5. Get it here!