Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Sapiens by Dr Yuval Harari and blue plaques

Chris speaks to author Dr Yuval Harari about Sapiens, the book that's been read by Barack Obama and Bill Gates. Plus he finds out about blue plaques with historian Howard Spencer.

Chris speaks to author Dr. Yuval Harari about Sapiens, the book that's been read by Barack Obama and Bill Gates and finds out how we've evolved as humans. We meet Howard Spencer, senior historian at English Heritage who tells us all about London's blue plaques, the quirky imitations across the country and what it takes to get one made! Vassos is joined in the Sports Locker by speed-skater Elise Christie and today's Pause For Thought on the Jewish festival Purim comes from Rabbi Dr Harvey Belovski.

2 hours, 59 minutes

Last on

Mon 13 Mar 2017 06:30
Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 2

More episodes

Previous

Damian Lewis, Jilly Cooper, Billie Piper, Cam and Hunter Hayes

Next

Frankie Dettori and Butchers

See all episodes from The Chris Evans Breakfast Show

Clips

See all clips from Sapiens by Dr Yuval Harari and blue plaques (3)

Music Played

  • Chic

    Good Times

    • The Last Days Of Disco (Film Soundtra.
    • Columbia.

  • Emeli Sandé

    Highs & Lows

    • (CD Single).
    • Virgin.
    • 014.

  • The Animals

    We Gotta Get Out Of This Place

  • Kylie Minogue

    Spinning Around

    • Now 46 (Various Artists).
    • Now.

  • Prefab Sprout

    The King of Rock 'N' Roll

    • Hits Album 8, Part 2 (Various Artist.
    • Hits Album.

  • Paolo Nutini

    Pencil Full Of Lead

    • (CD Single).
    • Atlantic.
    • 1.

  • Jamiroquai

    Cloud 9

    • (CD Single).
    • Virgin.
    • 1.

  • Cher

    Believe

    • Love Songs - 39 All Time Love Classic.
    • Polygram Tv.

  • Ed Sheeran

    Shape Of You

    • ÷ Divide.
    • Atlantic.

  • Peter Sellers

    I'm So Ashamed

    • Classic Songs And Sketches.
    • EMI Records Limited.
    • 16.

  • Katy Perry

    Chained To The Rhythm (feat. Skip Marley)

    • (CD Single).
    • Capitol Records.

  • George Benson

    Give Me The Night

    • George Benson - The Very Best Of.
    • Warner E.S.P..
    • 1.

  • R.E.M.

    It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

    • R.E.M. Singles Collected.
    • Chrysalis.

  • Adele

    Rumour Has It

    • 21.
    • XL.
    • 1.

  • Harry Belafonte

    Jump In The Line

    • The Best Of.
    • Camden.
    • 16.

  • Take That

    Giants

    • (CD Single).
    • Polydor.

  • Def Leppard

    Animal

    • Def Leppard - Hysteria.
    • Phonogram.

  • The Who

    I Can See For Miles

    • The Who Hits 50! (Deluxe Edition).
    • Polydor.
    • 012.

  • Ray Charles

    Hit The Road Jack (feat. The Raelettes)

    • Ray Charles - The Collection.
    • Castle Communications.

  • Queen

    Hammer To Fall

    • Queen - Greatest Hits II.
    • Parlophone.

  • Zac Brown Band

    Jump Right In (Live From C2C: Country to Country 2017)

  • Betsy

    Waiting

    • (CD Single).
    • Warner Bros.

  • The Cult

    She Sells Sanctuary

    • The Cult - Pure Cult: The Singles.
    • Beggars Banquet.

  • Cameo

    Word Up

    • Platinum - The Definitive R&B Collection (Various Artists).
    • Universal Music TV.

  • Marc Almond

    A Kind Of Love

    • (CD Single).
    • BMG.
    • 1.

  • Iggy Pop

    Real Wild Child (Wild One)

    • The Greatest Hits Of 1987, Pt.2 (Var).
    • Telstar.

  • Olly Murs

    Troublemaker (feat. Flo Rida)

    • (CD Single).
    • Epic.
    • 1.

Pause For Thought

Pause For Thought

From Rabbi Dr Harvey Belovski, rabbi of Golders Green Synagogue and CEO of University Jewish Chaplaincy:

Yesterday was Purim – the craziest day of the Jewish calendar. We remember when the Jewish community lived within the ancient Persian Empire. An influential anti-Semite called Haman colluded with a foolish king – Achashverosh – to exterminate the Jews. The queen – Esther – a closet Jew – together with the leader of the Jewish community – Mordechai, saw off the threat. Every year, Purim celebrates the anniversary of their victory.

So far, much like other Jewish festivals – they tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat!

But Purim is unlike any other day in the year – we read the story from a scroll, give each other gifts of food and donate money to the poor. We also have a raucous feast with family and friends at which we sing, dance, bless each other and drink. I’ve even been known to set fire to my hat to entertain my guests, but please don’t try this at home. I’m sorry if I sound a little delicate this morning…

The most striking feature of Purim in Golders Green, where I live, is that people dress up – mostly children, but even some adults, including the rabbi. Over the years at my synagogue, I’ve read the scroll in a banana costume, dressed as a pirate, a Viking, a duck, a flamingo and a ballerina. This year, I acquired a bright orange morph-suit and arrived dressed as a very fetching carrot.

Apart from being great fun, there’s a serious message in dressing up and drinking a little more than usual. Purim comes at the end of the winter, a time to shake off our emotional and spiritual inhibitions. Having connected with God by identifying the divine hand in the Purim story, we then connect with others by supporting the needy and giving food gifts. Next, we attempt to connect with our inner lives. Disguising our external identities encourages us to look inwards at what really defines us – our often- neglected spiritual core. And at the end of a special and holy day, drinking in the right frame of mind enables us to shatter the barrier between our regular, often contrived existence and our inner reality. This allows us to touch, if just for a moment, a place inside us that we may not have visited since last Purim.

Broadcast

  • Mon 13 Mar 2017 06:30
    Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 2

Farewell Chris Evans: The best bits from his last shows at Radio 2

After eight years of hosting the Breakfast Show, Chris Evans leaves Radio 2.

500 Words

Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 2's story-writing competition for kids.