Hitting the Books with Gary Thorne: "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind"

"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" has been on the to-do list for a year. It was penned last year by Yuval Noah Harari, a PhD in History from Oxford and professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The title is exactly what the book is about.

This is far more than the laying out of dates and events. This is about what the events meant to the history of humans. Some of the conclusions are far from the conclusions so often found in history books.

Let's begin with his chapter on why the agricultural revolution is history's greatest fraud.

Or how about, "Humanities search for an easier life released immense forces of change that transformed the world in ways nobody envisioned or wanted." This is the chapter on the "luxury trap."

There is a chapter on how recent discoveries have led historians to wonder if the foundation of religions - of whatever was being worshiped - was for the purpose of finding a common denominator to unite voluminous tribes for the sake of cooperation - and power.

Then there is this: "(Scientists) increasingly argue that human behavior is determined by hormones, genes and synapses, rather than by free will ...."

This is not new, but the scientific research behind that thought is ever increasing. Where does it fit in the history of sapiens?

Most important to this work is arranging the changes in sapiens' history to make sense in the long curve of mankind. Harari has done that, turning millions of years into a highly readable adventure.

This recommendation comes from Kate Powell, Enoch Pratt Free Library board member and founder of the Pratt Contemporaries.

"I just finished reading D. Watkins' autobiography, 'The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Story,' a true-life look inside the Baltimore drug trade. Watkins managed to avoid most of the perils of his East Baltimore neighborhood and was on his way to Georgetown University when his older brother, a man he idolized, was shot and killed, leaving D. to manage his brother's crack empire. 'The Cook Up' is a raw and bluntly written story of addiction, violence and loss - and ultimately, redemption."

Thanks, Kate. Note this is an autobiography from our city bringing us all a little closer to where we live.

Gary Thorne is the play-by-play voice of the Orioles on MASN, and the 2016 season is his 10th with the club and 31st covering Major League Baseball. His blog will appear regularly throughout the season. The Orioles and Sarasota County have partnered on the Big League Reader Program, which rewarded kids who read three books in February with tickets to a Grapefruit League game at Ed Smith Stadium in March.

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