Sapiens
Sapiens - Yuval Noah Harari
“The real root of suffering is the never-ending and pointless pursuit of ephemeral feelings, which causes us to be in a constant state of tension and dissatisfaction.”
Sapiens - a brief history of humankind is exactly as it is described. There is an awful lot of information crammed into this book! It's a fantastic way to learn more not only about our physical evolution, but also the way our development has shaped the very essence of our psyche. Bill Gates has called this his favourite book to recommend everyone read and I think that everyone really should read it. I wouldn't be surprised if this book or information adapted from the subjects in this book becomes compulsory reading for high school students.
What has allowed Homo sapiens to conquer the world above all else is due to the unique language systems we have developed and our ability to store information external to what can be held in memory.
Harari is also devout meditator and advocate of mindful practices and if nothing else, this book provides profound value with the information about happiness and finding meaning in life.