Book Review: Nexus: A Brief History of Information Netwoks from the Stone Age to AI

Abstract

Yuval Noah Harari, the celebrated historian and author of Sapiens, Homo Deus, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, presents Nexus, a sweeping historical analysis of how information networks have shaped human civilization. From the earliest oral traditions to the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), Harari explores the power of information to connect societies, control populations, and define the course of history. Published in 2024, Nexus extends Harari’s signature approach of combining history, anthropology, and futurism to examine the role of information in the evolution of human societies. The book traces how different civilizations have harnessed information—from religious myths to political propaganda—and how, in the modern era, AI presents an unprecedented shift in who, or what, controls the flow of knowledge.