Please join us on Monday, November 4th at 5:30 PM for the Freedom Readers Book Club meeting. This is a MAKE-UP MEETING for the October selection of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

This book club is open to the public and will concentrate on fiction and non-fiction titles based around political or current cultural themes. We invite healthy debate and discussion! Topics & opinions discussed do not necessarily reflect Branches Books & Gifts employees viewpoints. Please call (559) 641-2019 or email anne@branchesbooks.com for more information.

New York Times Bestseller

A Summer Reading Pick for President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg

From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.”

One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us?

Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas.

Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become?

Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem.

UPCOMING BOOK CLUB SELECTIONS:

November 18th – Unsheltered by Barbara KIngsolver
DECEMBER 2019 BREAK – Happy Holidays & see you in January!