Dear readers, my name is Yuval Noah Harari and I would like to talk to you about my new book, "Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow".

In my previous book, "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind", I explained how our unique ability to believe in collective myths - God, human rights, or money - allowed us to conquer the planet. In "Homo Deus" I examine what might happen when our old myths are combined with revolutionary new technologies. How might Islam handle genetic engineering? How might socialism deal with the emergence of a non-working class? How might liberalism reconcile with the emergence of a Big Brother who draws his power from Big Data? Will Silicon Valley end up producing new religions as well as new technologies?

Artificial intelligence is rapidly surpassing our own mental capabilities. What will become of democracy when Google and Facebook know our tastes and political preferences better than we do? What will become of the welfare state when computers throw people out of the labor market, creating a new massive "useless class"?

Meanwhile, biotechnology can significantly extend human life and upgrade both our bodies and minds. Will these improvements be available to all, or will we see the creation of unprecedented biological gaps between the rich and the poor? The gap between technologically enhanced superhumans and ordinary flesh-and-blood humans will likely be greater than that between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.

Technology is never deterministic. You can use the same tools for radically different purposes.

Yuval Noah Harari