Episode · a16z Podcast · 2017-02-23
Books mentioned on a16z Podcast: Brains, Bodies, Minds ... and Techno-Religions
Evolution and technology have allowed our human species to manipulate the physical environment around us -- reshaping fields into cities, redirecting rivers to irrigate farms, domesticating wild animals into captive food sources, conquering disease.
Mentioned: Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari, and Homo Deus A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Sapiens
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari is a sweeping narrative that traces the evolutionary and historical development of the human species from prehistoric bands to modern civilizations.
Recommended“He's the author of Sapiens, which is a mind-bogglingly good book, and now has a new book just out, Homo Deus.”
Where to get it
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Homo Deus
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari is a provocative historical and philosophical work that examines the next era of mankind, exploring futuristic trajectories where technology, artificial intelligence, and transhumanism threaten to transform humans into god-like beings.
Discussed“Or just one alternative possibility cuz this is actually what struck me most when reading Sapiens and then reading Homo Deus afterward is that the big theme of Sapiens was this great unification of humankind”
Where to get it
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Homo Deus A Brief History of Tomorrow
Homo Deus A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari examines the future of humanity, charting how technological advancements may transform human society, mortality, and consciousness.
Recommended“If people have not already read Sapiens, they must read that and especially the new book, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (7) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“He's the author of Sapiens, which is a mind-bogglingly good book, and now has a new book just out, Homo Deus.”
“You give the anecdote of Jorge Luis Borges' short story "A Problem" and the story of Don Quixote.”
“Like the when when you swear the US president to office, he swears on the copy of the Bible.”
“It's like you can swear on Harry Potter just just the same.”
“It could be your belief about you know, if you're a fan of Harry Potter, are you Slytherin or Gryffindor?”
“Well that actually is another way that technology brings you back to the past because if you think of Little House on the Prairie the schoolhouse was essentially all the grades in a single school because of physical location.”
“I remember thinking, this reminds me a lot of like like hearing about the Mahabharata and all these other things happening. Anyway, I would argue that science fiction is like religion for a lot of people”