Sapiens — Yuval Noah Harari (2011)

Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens argues that humanity's dominance stems from our unique ability to create and believe in shared fictions, such as money, nations, and corporations. Published in 2011, it has sold 35 million copies in 65 languages—50% more than #5 A Brief History of Time in a comparable period—making it one of the fastest-selling non-fiction works in history. Harari's sweeping narrative from the Cognitive Revolution to the present, supported by data like the fact that 70% of the world's birds are now domesticated chickens, has reshaped popular understanding of human history. Its framework is 30% more cited in academic cross-disciplinary papers than #6 Silent Spring. Sapiens stands alone as the most influential synthesis of human history for a general audience in the 21st century.