A review of the book 'Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI' written by Yuval Noah Harari.
'Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI' looks through the long lens of human history to consider how the flow of information has shaped us, and our world. Taking us from the Stone Age, through the canonization of 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 throughout history 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 in doing so, rediscovers our shared humanity.
Order links of the book 'Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI' below:
Amazon India:
Paperback
Kindle
Audible
Amazon USA:
Hardcover
Kindle
Audible
Flipkart:
Paperback
And please don't forget to checkout Historylogy.com for latest book reviews and tidbits from the pages of history.
Please feel free to our social media ID's for latest updates. Links below:
https://www.facebook.com/historylogy/
https://twitter.com/historylogy
https://www.instagram.com/historylogy/
Affiliate Earnings Disclaimer:
This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
Coming up: A review of the book 'Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI' written by Yuval Noah Harari.
Namaste Friends. My name is 'Shinil Subramanian Payamal' and you are listening to the Historylogy podcast.
Before I proceed, a full disclosure: This book was bought with my own money and not been provided to me by the author or publisher.
Little bit about the author:
Yuval Noah Harari (born 1976) is a historian, philosopher and the bestselling author of Sapiens; Homo Deus; 21 Lessons for the 21st Century; and the children's series Unstoppable Us. His books have been translated into 65 languages, with 45 million copies sold.
Together with his husband, Itzik Yahav, Yuval Noah Harari is the co-founder of Sapienship: a social impact company that advocates for global collaboration, with projects in the realm of education and storytelling.
Harari has a PhD in History from the University of Oxford, is a Lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's History department, and is a Distinguished Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for the Study of Existential Risk.
Let me read a brief description of the book:
QUOTE
For 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. For all that we have accomplished, why are we so self-destructive?
Nexus looks through the long lens of human history to consider how the flow of information has shaped us, and our world. Taking us from the Stone Age, through the canonization of 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 throughout history 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 in doing so, rediscovers our shared humanity.
UNQUOTE
This book which is just around 400 pages is divided into three parts and has a total of eleven chapters.
The 1st part has five chapters. The 2nd and 3rd part have three parts each.
The first part of this book surveys the historical development of human information networks.
Part 2 argues that we are creating an entirely new kind of information network without pausing to reckon with its implications. It emphasises the shift from organic to inorganic information networks.
The third and final part of the book examines how different kinds of societies might deal with the threats and promises of the inorganic information network.
Some of the things I personally found interesting in this book:
1. In 2016, an internal Facebook report discovered that ‘64 percent of all extremist group joins are due to our recommendation tools … Our recommendation systems grow the problem.’
A secret internal Facebook memo from August 2019, leaked by the whistleblower Frances Haugen, stated, ‘We have evidence from a variety of sources that hate speech, divisive political speech, and misinformation on Facebook and [its] family of apps are affecting societies around the world. We also have compelling evidence that our core product mechanics, such as virality, recommendations, and optimizing for engagement, are a significant part of why these types of speech flourish on the platform.’
2. On page 328, the author has mentioned the following:
QUOTE
American white supremacists have tried to justify their position by appealing to various hallowed texts, most notably the US Constitution and the Bible. The US Constitution originally legitimised racial segregation and the supremacy of the white race, reserving full civil rights for white people and allowing the enslavement of Black people.
The Bible not only sanctified slavery in the Ten Commandments and numerous other passages but also placed a curse on the offspring of Ham ─ the alleged forefather of Africans ─ saying that ‘the lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers’ (Genesis 9:25).
UNQUOTE
3. On page 377, the following is stated:
QUOTE
The division into separate information cocoons could lead not just to economic rivalries and international tensions but also to the development of very different cultures, ideologies and identities. Guessing future cultural and ideological developments is usually a fool’s errand. It is far more difficult than predicting economic and geopolitical developments. How many Romans or Jews in the days of Tiberius could have anticipated that a splinter Jewish sect would eventually take over the Roman Empire and that the emperors would abandon Rome’s old gods to worship an executed Jewish Rabbi?
UNQUOTE
Conclusion:
"Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI" is a significant contribution to contemporary discussions about technology, society, and the future of humanity. Harari invites readers to reflect on our relationship with information and challenges us to consider how we can navigate the complexities of an increasingly interconnected world. Whether you're a seasoned Harari fan or new to his work, "Nexus" is an enlightening read that prompts us to think critically about the role of information in shaping our past, present, and future.
I give this book 4.25/5.
Apart from Hardcover and Paperback formats, the book is also available in Kindle and Audible formats. I have given the respective buy links in the show notes. Please check them out for the latest prices.
Last but not the least, thank you for spending your valuable time listening to this book review. Really grateful. Please don't forget to subscribe to the Historylogy podcast on your favourite podcasting app and also feel free to leave a review. Also, please check historylogy.com for all previous episodes. Thanks and looking forward to hearing from you. Take care and bye!