Nexus

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

Author: Yuval Noah Harari

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From renowned historian and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Yuval Noah Harari comes the story of how information networks have made, and unmade, our worldFrom renowned historian and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Yuval Noah Harari comes the story of how information networks have made, and unmade, our worldFor 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.

Critic Reviews

Yuval Noah Harari is the undisputed maestro of the big idea . . . Nobody can pull of a big theory as suavely as he can THE TIMES
[Harari] sticks the world together in a gleaming shape that inspires and excites TELEGRAPH
A superb narrative writer GUARDIAN
[A] thoughtful book . . . An important perspective at a time when the info-wars seem likely to only get worse -- Gillian Tett FINANCIAL TIMES
[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 -- BILL GATES
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 OBSERVER
A useful, well-informed primer . . . Wise and bold NEW YORK TIMES
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 ECONOMIST
One of our foremost big-picture thinkers about the grand sweep of humanity, history and the future TIME
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 -- STEPHEN FRY
[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 -- YOTAM OTTOLENGHI
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 -- MUSTAFA SULEYMAN
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 -- RORY STEWART
[An] always rewarding, often alarming book LITERARY REVIEW
Nexus is an important book and comes at an important time in human history SCIENCE
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 THE CONVERSATION
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 KAI-FU LEE, author of AI 2041

About the 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.