Yuval Noah Harari, best known for his book “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” has just had a second book published in China. Where “Sapiens” examined the past, the new book, “Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow,” attempts to answer questions about the future.

Harari, a professor of history, explained in an interview with the People’s Daily how he got the idea for “Homo Deus” in the wake of his first book’s success. It was readers who prompted Harari to shift his focus, as many fans of “Sapiens” wondered what the past could teach people about the future.

According to the author, his new book “focuses on the interaction between technology, politics, society and religion.” What effect will big data algorithms have on politics once the former knows our thoughts and beliefs better than we ourselves do? Harari asks. What will happen as automation and artificial intelligence close off traditional career paths? These big questions and others like them are the subject of “Homo Deus.”

First published in Harari’s native Israel and England, China is the third country to publish the book. Asked about his impressions of China, Harari called it “the most dynamic country in the world today.” In comparison to Western audiences, the author said that Chinese audiences have a greater hunger for knowledge.

“In the West, people are very curious of course, but in China I got a real sense of urgency from the people. It goes beyond mere curiosity,” he explained. “They have a deep yearning to understand the world. They are very open to new ideas and new ways of thinking.”

Of course, hard-pressed to avoid the topic of politics in the current climate, Harari also shared his thoughts on China’s unique perspective when it comes to global affairs. Pointing to the country’s 2,000-year history, which he contrasted with the much-younger U.S. and European Union, Harari suggested that China has valuable experience uniting very disparate populations—a skill that will prove essential if nations are to band together to fight global problems like climate change and poverty.

“During [China’s history], the Chinese have had a lot of experience in balancing the needs and interests of many groups of people living in different regions and under different climatic and economic conditions. This experience will be vital for the survival and success of humankind in the coming decades,” Harari predicted.

Harari’s interest in profound and potentially unanswerable questions began when he was still a teenager. He recalled the shock he felt upon realizing that his family didn’t much care about the meaning of life—that they were more invested in money, work and politics than the “big picture.” Harari promised himself that he wouldn’t get bogged down in what he thought of as “the mundane troubles of daily life.” In a way, both “Sapiens” and “Homo Deus” are attempts to make good on that promise.

Perhaps hoping to reach other young people with limitless curiosity, Harari said he is considering a children’s book for his next project, which would focus on the history humankind.

Then again, he modestly considered, “I am not sure I have the necessary skills to do that.”