book review livemint

Try AI-powered search

The information wars are about to get worse, Yuval Noah Harari argues

The author of “sapiens” is back with a timely new book about ai, fact and fiction.

Nexus . By Yuval Noah Harari. Random House; 528 pages; $35. Fern Press; £28

“L et Truth and falsehood grapple,” argued John Milton in Areopagitica , a pamphlet published in 1644 defending the freedom of the press. Such freedom would, he admitted, allow incorrect or misleading works to be published, but bad ideas would spread anyway, even without printing—so better to allow everything to be published and let rival views compete on the battlefield of ideas. Good information, Milton confidently believed, would drive out bad: the “dust and cinders” of falsehood “may yet serve to polish and brighten the armory of truth”.

Yuval Noah Harari, an Israeli historian, lambasts this position as the “naive view” of information in a timely new book. It is mistaken, he argues, to suggest that more information is always better and more likely to lead to the truth; the internet did not end totalitarianism, and racism cannot be fact-checked away. But he also argues against a “populist view” that objective truth does not exist and that information should be wielded as a weapon. (It is ironic, he notes, that the notion of truth as illusory, which has been embraced by right-wing politicians, originated with left-wing thinkers such as Marx and Foucault.)

Few historians have achieved the global fame of Mr Harari, who has sold more than 45m copies of his megahistories, including “Sapiens”. He counts Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg among his fans. A techno-futurist who contemplates doomsday scenarios, Mr Harari has warned about technology’s ill effects in his books and speeches, yet he captivates Silicon Valley bosses, whose innovations he critiques.

In “Nexus”, a sweeping narrative ranging from the stone age to the era of artificial intelligence ( AI ), Mr Harari sets out to provide “a better understanding of what information is, how it helps to build human networks, and how it relates to truth and power”. Lessons from history can, he suggests, provide guidance in dealing with big information-related challenges in the present, chief among them the political impact of AI and the risks to democracy posed by disinformation. In an impressive feat of temporal sharpshooting, a historian whose arguments operate on the scale of millennia has managed to capture the zeitgeist perfectly. With 70 nations, accounting for around half the world’s population, heading to the polls this year, questions of truth and disinformation are top of mind for voters—and readers.

Mr Harari’s starting point is a novel definition of information itself. Most information, he says, does not represent anything, and has no essential link to truth. Information’s defining feature is not representation but connection; it is not a way of capturing reality but a way of linking and organising ideas and, crucially, people. (It is a “social nexus”.) Early information technologies , such as stories, clay tablets or religious texts, and later newspapers and radio, are ways of orchestrating social order.

Here Mr Harari is building on an argument from his previous books, such as “Sapiens” and “Homo Deus” : that humans prevailed over other species because of their ability to co-operate flexibly in large numbers, and that shared stories and myths allowed such interactions to be scaled up, beyond direct person-to-person contact. Laws, gods, currencies and nationalities are all intangible things that are conjured into existence through shared narratives. These stories do not have to be entirely accurate; fiction has the advantage that it can be simplified and can ignore inconvenient or painful truths.

The opposite of myth, which is engaging but may not be accurate, is the list, which boringly tries to capture reality, and gives rise to bureaucracy. Societies need both mythology and bureaucracy to maintain order. He considers the creation and interpretation of holy texts and the emergence of the scientific method as contrasting approaches to the questions of trust and fallibility, and to maintaining order versus finding truth.

He also applies this framing to politics, treating democracy and totalitarianism as “contrasting types of information networks”. Starting in the 19th century, mass media made democracy possible at a national level, but also “opened the door for large-scale totalitarian regimes”. In a democracy, information flows are decentralised and rulers are assumed to be fallible; under totalitarianism, the opposite is true. And now digital media, in various forms, are having political effects of their own. New information technologies are catalysts for major historical shifts.

Dark matter

As in his previous works, Mr Harari’s writing is confident, wide-ranging and spiced with humour. He draws upon history, religion, epidemiology, mythology, literature, evolutionary biology and his own family biography, often leaping across millennia and back again within a few paragraphs. Some readers will find this invigorating; others may experience whiplash.

And many may wonder why, for a book about information that promises new perspectives on AI , he spends so much time on religious history, and in particular the history of the Bible. The reason is that holy books and AI are both attempts, he argues, to create an “infallible superhuman authority”. Just as decisions made in the fourth century AD about which books to include in the Bible turned out to have far-reaching consequences centuries later, the same, he worries, is true today about AI : the decisions made about it now will shape humanity’s future.

Mr Harari argues that AI should really stand for “alien intelligence” and worries that AI s are potentially “new kinds of gods”. Unlike stories, lists or newspapers, AI s can be active agents in information networks, like people. Existing computer-related perils such as algorithmic bias, online radicalisation, cyber-attacks and ubiquitous surveillance will all be made worse by AI , he fears. He imagines AI s creating dangerous new myths, cults, political movements and new financial products that crash the economy.

Some of his nightmare scenarios seem implausible. He imagines an autocrat becoming beholden to his AI surveillance system, and another who, distrusting his defence minister, hands control of his nuclear arsenal to an AI instead. And some of his concerns seem quixotic: he rails against TripAdvisor, a website where tourists rate restaurants and hotels, as a terrifying “peer-to-peer surveillance system”. He has a habit of conflating all forms of computing with AI . And his definition of “information network” is so flexible that it encompasses everything from large language models like Chat GPT to witch-hunting groups in early modern Europe.

But Mr Harari’s narrative is engaging, and his framing is strikingly original. He is, by his own admission, an outsider when it comes to writing about computing and AI , which grants him a refreshingly different perspective. Tech enthusiasts will find themselves reading about unexpected aspects of history, while history buffs will gain an understanding of the AI debate. Using storytelling to connect groups of people? That sounds familiar. Mr Harari’s book is an embodiment of the very theory it expounds. ■

Explore more

More from culture.

Despots and oligarchs have many means to meddle in American politics

The extent of the foreign-influence industry may surprise you

A gripping new novel about AI captures what it means to be human

“Hum” evokes a techno-dystopia that feels eerily realistic

Arnold Schoenberg was one of classical music’s most important rebels

But, 150 years after his birth, he is underappreciated

Technology and Hindu nationalism have transformed India

Might the government combine the two in ominous ways?

The Oxford debate where evolution triumphed over creationism

A turning-point in the history of science

Coco Gauff risks joining the ranks of tennis’s nearly-greats

Like several of the sport’s best players, her struggles against a particular rival could be career-altering

Blogs / Customer Reviews / Primebook 4G Review by LiveMint

No matching blogs found.

Primebook Team

01 Aug 2024

Primebook 4G Review by LiveMint

One of India’s leading business and financial daily newspapers, Mint , left a review of our Primebook 4G laptop on their official e-news portal, LiveMint , on 25th June 2024. Tech expert and gadget reviewer, Boudhaditya Sanyal , has authored this review article, emphasizing the Primebook 4G laptop as a rule-breaking gadget in the “laptop landscape” where people are more familiar with “plugging in an ethernet cable or connecting to Wi-Fi” and expecting “specs to match the price tag”. Here’s a brief glimpse of the exciting review LiveMint has shared for all our audiences.

Review of Primebook 4G’s Design and Build Quality

The product review by LiveMint mentions that our laptop “doesn’t skimp on style”, and “its sleek, minimalist design and soft-touch plastic casing give it a surprisingly premium feel that belies its price tag.” The author calls the “all-black matte finish” style “elegant and practical, resisting fingertips and smudges.”

When it comes to the keyboard design, the author states that it offers a “tactile feel paired with decent key travel”. Further, in terms of build quality, the review highlights that Primebook 4G is “featherlight” and with “elevated design and sturdy hinge”, the ergonomics are “better” than other budget laptops.    

Review of Primebook 4G’s Performance and Differentiators  

While performance is concerned, Boudhaditya has clearly written that our laptop “is not aimed at power, but enhanced usability ” and that’s precisely what we look to provide to help users pursue their everyday learning and computing tasks with ease and efficiency. He also says that Primebook 4G’s HD IPS display of 11.6 inches, providing “crisp details and colors”, is like a “visual treat” .

The “sufficiently loud” sound output that our laptop’s speakers provide also finds a mention in the product review. Our made-in-India custom Android-based PrimeOS operating system that powers the Primebook 4G laptops was appreciated for offering “a unique blend of a familiar Android app environment with the functionality of the desktop interface”.

The MediaTek MT8788 processor and 4GB RAM our Primebook 4G laptop holds is said to have given a “responsive performance” to the author when he used it. He also spoke about the “smooth multitasking” opportunity that our laptop offers and the “impressive” battery life, “lasting a full school day with moderate usage.”  

Review of Primebook 4G’s Features and Connectivity

In the review article about Primebook 4G, the author asserts that the laptop is built “with features that streamline your student life”. He applauds the 4G SIM connectivity that the laptop brings in addition to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 and regards it as the “ life-saver for students on the move and those with unreliable home internet”.

Boudhaditya has also talked about the “flexibility for connecting peripherals or expanding storage” on our laptops with the availability of ports like Type C fast charging, USB 2.0, and Micro HDMI. All-in-all, he says that “connectivity is a breeze” on the Primebook 4G laptop!  

LiveMint’s Verdict on Primebook 4G  

The review article infers that the Primebook 4G laptop is a “remarkable value for its price”, “a game-changer”, an “ideal companion” for “media consumption”, and “perfectly suited for educational pursuits”. It exclaims the “lightweight and portable” feature, alongside the cost-effectiveness , as two of the major reasons to buy our Primebook 4G laptops.  

To sum up, we, the Primebook team, would like to thank the Mint team and the author of the review article, Boudhaditya, for considering our Primebook 4G laptop worthwhile to showcase before their audience. This review gave us more motivation to push our limits and work harder to deliver more powerful and efficient laptops to learners in India and beyond.  

Buy Primebook Today

Primebook 4G

Primebook Wifi

--> Related Blog

22 Jul 2024

Primebook Wifi Review by TechHerald

06 Jun 2024

Primebook Review by CNBC TV18

15 May 2024

Primebook Wi-Fi Review by PCQuest: Worth Recalling!

Terms & conditions.

📦 Bulk Order

📞 Repair And Service Center

📞 Contact Us

🛒 Buy Primebook

📃 Terms and Conditions

❤️ Primebook Warranty Policy

🛡️ Refund & Return Policy

♻️ E-Waste Management Policy

Primebook S Wifi

Primebook S 4G

Top 5 Online Courses at Delhi University (DU)

Government Schemes Under Skill India Mission By NSDC

Best Laptop for Distance Learning: Primebook 4G!

Best Laptop for Learning in India 2024: Primebook Wi-Fi!

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

+919667413981

📍Supremework, Ground Floor, Building No. 356, Sultanpur, Delhi - 110030

@2024 All rights reserved by Floydwiz Technologies Pvt Ltd

Buy Now From Flipkart

Min. 40% off.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

The Importance of Books in Our Lives

More from our inbox:.

• A Democratic Plan to Increase Taxes on the Superrich
• How to Teach the Bible
• Nurturing Friendships

To the Editor:

Re “ Our Bookshelves, Ourselves ,” by Margaret Renkl (Opinion guest essay, Aug. 29):

On Oct. 6 last year, my three children and I lost our home and our dog, Lulu, in a fire.

Of all the objects that were lost that day, the loss of our books has been the most difficult to absorb, and grief over their loss appears in odd, unpredictable ways. (For example, my youngest son has refused to even look at the replacement copy of “The Wild Robot” that I bought him within days of the blaze.)

The books that we were in the middle of reading. The books with jam smears and with water marks from splashy tub read-out-loud sessions. My duct-taped copy of “Women Who Run With the Wolves.” The underlines, the earmarks, the smell of used books that were previously owned by libraries.

This article made me cry with joy and relief. And it made all four of us feel somehow comforted knowing there are people who might understand that what was lost was irreplaceable.

Niki Leffingwell Missoula, Mont.

Like Margaret Renkl, I’m a bibliophile. I’ve been a member of the same book club for 33 years. My family writes books and writes in books, and I am incapable of walking past a Little Free Library without stopping.

Recently, I’ve grown to love audiobooks, too; my husband, Rob, and I listen during road trips. I loved the evocative narrations of “James,” “Circe,” “Hamnet” and “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” and William Hootkins’s interpretation of “Moby-Dick,” a masterpiece that neither Rob nor I had conquered on our own.

Yet I agree with Ms. Renkl: “I will always prefer a book I can hold in my hand.” I like underlining the good parts, scribbling in the margins and shelving a beloved novel among favorites from other chapters of my life. I even have two designated bookshelves for signed books: Tom Wolfe, Sue Grafton, Dr. Spock, Mario Vargas Llosa.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

advertisement

• News Big Story Opinion Talking Point
• Food Cook Drink Discover
• Fashion Trends Shop Beauty
• How To Lounge Movies & Tv Art & Culture Books
• Smart Living Environment Innovation
• Health Wellness Fitness
• Relationships Raising Parents It's Complicated Pets
• Brand Stories
• Web Stories
• Talking Point

Latest Issue

• Privacy Policy
• Terms And Conditions

Follow Mint Lounge

Subscribe to get your weekly Mint lounge newsletter

Thanks for subscribing.

You have successfully subscribed to Mint Lounge newsletter.

light up your inbox

Book review.

Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor: A ruthless world of sons and godfathers

By Karthik Shankar

Mukund Kaushal's new book offers a policeman's view of events

Women, incarcerated: how women fare in indian jails, this debut book explores the limits of political correctness, how a stellar team of economists transformed india in the 1990s, betting on natural gas as a 'clean' fossil fuel, nehru, sardar patel and the man in the middle, the japanese way to cleaning up your mind and home in 2020, dialogue in an ancient chinese royal kitchen, fox 8: a foxy little fable, most popular.

• What makes John Krasinski's ‘IF’ the perfect summer watch for families?
• Lounge Loves: A political board game, pancake mixes and more
• A tikka masala-inspired vegetarian recipe minus the cream
• Neeta Lulla and 40 years of Indian fashion
• Webb telescope captures detailed images of Horsehead Nebula's 'mane'

ECOS Mobility IPO Day 2: GMP, subscription status, review, other details. Apply or not?

Ecos mobility ipo gmp today: according to market observers, shares of the company are available at a premium of ₹ 161 in the grey market today.

Geojit Securities, GEPL Capital,Marwadi Shares and Finance, Nimal Bang, SMIFS, and Ventura Securities have also assigned a ‘buy’ tag to the book build issue.

ECOS Mobility IPO details

The public issue is purely offer for sale of 18,000,000 equity shares. Through this sale, Rajesh and Aditya Loomba, who are part of the promoter group, will be selling up to 9,900,000 and 8,100,000 equity shares, respectively.

The RHP states that the firm will not directly receive any revenues from this offer, as it is an offer for sale. The selling shareholders will get all profits in proportion to the shares they each sold during the offer.

The ECO Mobility IPO's book running lead managers are Equirus Capital Private Limited and Iifl Securities Ltd, while the issue's registrar is Link Intime India Private Ltd.

ECOS Mobility IPO GMP today

ECOS Mobility IPO grey market premium is + ₹ 161. This indicates ECOS Mobility's share price was trading at a premium of ₹ 161 in the grey market, according to market observers.

Considering the upper end of the IPO price band and the current premium in the grey market, the estimated listing price of ECOS Mobility shares was Rs495 apiece, which is 48% higher than the IPO price of ₹ 334.

According to grey market activities over the past 7 sessions, today's IPO GMP is trending upwards and is anticipated to have a strong listing. Investorgain.com analysts report that the GMP ranges from ₹ 0 to ₹ 194, with the highest value recorded.

'Grey market premium' indicates investors' readiness to pay more than the issue price.

Disclaimer: The views and recommendations above are those of individual analysts, experts and broking companies, not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decision.

Catch all the Business News , Market News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.

• HDFC Bank Share Price
• Reliance Industries Share Price
• TCS Share Price
• Infosys Share Price
• HUL Share Price

Most Active Stocks

State bank of india, bharat electronics, indian oil corporation, market snapshot.

• Top Gainers
• 52 Week High

Gujarat Fluorochemicals

Glenmark life sciences, sbi cards & payment services, sumitomo chemical india, trending in market.

• Orient Technologies IPO
• Chandan Taparia recommendations
• NSE new circular

Recommended For You

Gold prices, popular in markets, why is the indian stock market falling for the last three days — explained, reliance-owned multibagger stock turns ₹1 lakh to ₹1.09 crore in five years, wait for it….

Log in to our website to save your bookmarks. It'll just take a moment.