Yuval Harari’s Sapiens was first translated into English and Korean in 2015, making a major global impact. By 2023 it had sold more than 23 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling titles in the humanities.
The book reframes the long arc of human history. Harari explores how Homo sapiens became the dominant species over hundreds of thousands of years, organizing the story around three major revolutions: the Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution, and the Scientific Revolution.
In today’s post, I want to recommend a more playful and expanded version of Sapiens: Sapiens: A Graphic History.
Sapiens: A Graphic History adapts the core ideas into comics, delivering the material in a richer, more accessible form. It doesn’t merely illustrate the original text; it introduces a cast of characters to broaden the questions and debates.
A superhero called “Dr. Fiction” passionately explains the power of shared myths in building civilization, while a hard-boiled detective named “Lopez” tries to prove the crimes of sapiens. These characters offer multiple viewpoints and make the original arguments feel more dimensional. The structure is very easy to read, and I think both kids and adults can enjoy it.
These visual elements and character-driven approaches make complex ideas approachable and fun, especially for readers who prefer visual learning. The book’s visual strategy helps readers immerse themselves more deeply in the narrative and plays an important role in supporting overall comprehension.
There are a few downsides. Borrowing from the American comic-book style, the pacing can feel scattered and a bit hectic. For readers who want to focus tightly on the core arguments, this may be a drawback.
It also inherits some of the original Sapiens critiques. Its overly romantic view of hunter-gatherer societies, overly critical stance toward agrarian life, and arguably pro-imperialist framing should be read with a critical eye.
Even so, I strongly recommend Sapiens: A Graphic History. It delivers the essence of Sapiens—religion, economics, culture, and the foundations of human history—in a lively and comparatively easy-to-read form, while still offering deep insight.
At the moment, three volumes are available in online bookstores. There is also a 1+2 package available at a comparatively affordable price, so it’s worth a look.