Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

by Yuval Noah Harari

The Agricultural Revolution certainly enlarged the sum total of food at the disposal of humankind, but the extra food did not translate into a better diet or more leisure. Rather, it translated into population explosions and pampered elites. The average farmer worked harder than the average forager, and got a worse diet in return. The Agricultural Revolution was history’s biggest fraud.2

This is one of those explosive thoughts that one must ponder. The planet would certainly be in better shape if we had remained foragers. The longer life spans we have enjoyed due to building civilisation has started backsliding the other direction with obesity, depression, and pollution. Certainly we all need to live more modest lifestyles and lower our footprint. By doing so, we would actually be healthier and happier.