Homo sapiens appeared on the planet about 100,000 years ago. There were other human species, but we alone survived. We’ll look at the history of sapiens as we evolved from a hunter-gatherer, to the dominant species on earth.

The text for this course, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, is an objective study of how sapiens evolved through the three major events that shaped our history: the cognitive revolution, the agricultural revolution and the scientific revolution. We’ll also examine the roles that religion, money, and empires played in the development of humankind over the ages and take a glance at our future. The author also considers our changing relation to other animals and the environment. This is a fascinating study, with some humorous and some frightening observations.

Format: Participants will read 3-4 chapters (about 50 pages) before each class. Each person will make a presentation on a particular topic(s) within those chapters and lead a lively discussion. (
Click here to see the course syllabus.)

Resources/Expenses: The text for this course is Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari available for $9.00 (used) and up on Amazon.