Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volume 3

Description

This third volume of the illustrated adaptation of the internationally bestselling phenomenon, Sapiens: A Graphic History—The Masters of History, tackles the question of the driving force of humanity’s fate: is it empire, money, religion—or something else entirely—that unites us? 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? This nonfiction comic, Sapiens: A Graphic History—The Masters of History, takes us on an immersive and hilarious ride through human history 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 civilizations 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 history 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 installment in the Sapiens: A Graphic History series is an engaging, insightful, and colorful 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. This engaging work of historical analysis tackles the biggest questions of our past, revealing the powerful, often hilarious, forces that shaped our world: The Rise of Empire: Follow the larger-than-life Lady Empire and discover how conquerors, for better or worse, forged new hybrid civilizations and unified vast swathes of humanity. The Invention of Money: Join the flashy Captain Dollar to understand how trust in a shared story—from barley and seashells to gold coins—created a universal system of cooperation that connects even the bitterest of enemies. The Spread of Religion: Explore with Skyman why universal, missionary beliefs from Christianity to Buddhism became one of history’s most potent unifying forces, while also sowing deep divisions. A Graphic History Like No Other: Dive into a one-of-a-kind nonfiction comic where academic rigor meets laugh-out-loud humor, guided by the familiar faces of Yuval, Zoe, and Professor Saraswati on their journey through time. Review: Fascinating! - My son loves this series. Fascinating for all ages! Review: a remarkable achievement - I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the 3rd volume in this series! I am consistently floored by the depth of storytelling, presentation of complex concepts, artwork, and humor in Sapiens: A Graphic History. I am not exactly an expert in the medium of comics, but it seems to me that Hanari and collaborators understand the tools and literary devices of the form: characters, superheroes, non-linear narratives, stories within stories, comics within comics (a la Watchmen), satirization of media formats, creative uses of layouts and graphic design. Volume 3 is filled with dates, facts and timelines, but always in service of larger lessons presented in a balanced way, and here’s nothing dry about the end result. Somehow, I come away from each volume feeling both smarter and more curious.