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Humanity's Descent: The Consequences of Ecological Instability
In this groundbreaking book, Rick Potts uncovers the ecology of our earliest forebears, explores their survival and extinction, and tells the drama of human evolution as it has never been told before.
Potts, internationally known for his innovative excavations of early archeological sites, brilliantly connects our planet's past with the environmental dilemmas we now face, showing how ancient humans responded to the forces of nature and survived long periods of dramatic habitat disturbance.
In the end, Humanity's Descent offers a provocative statement about the present status of our species and its institutions. Potts convincingly explains why prevailing ideals of economic growth and environmental preservation are based on mistaken, short-term views of the natural world. Our future lies, as it always has, in our ability to tolerate environmental insult and to revise our relationship with nature.
Potts, internationally known for his innovative excavations of early archeological sites, brilliantly connects our planet's past with the environmental dilemmas we now face, showing how ancient humans responded to the forces of nature and survived long periods of dramatic habitat disturbance.
In the end, Humanity's Descent offers a provocative statement about the present status of our species and its institutions. Potts convincingly explains why prevailing ideals of economic growth and environmental preservation are based on mistaken, short-term views of the natural world. Our future lies, as it always has, in our ability to tolerate environmental insult and to revise our relationship with nature.
325 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 1, 2024
As I started reading this, I was slightly worried that I'd picked up a book written by one of those people who don't 'believe' in global warming, or at least that humans aren't responsible for it ... there seemed to be a leaning towards that idea. But this is definitely not what this book is about.
The author explores the evolution of man and how our 'Garden of Eden' concept of a stable, perfect natural world, where our ancestors lived in perfect harmony with their surroundings, isn't true. That only a shifting, changing environment (even if over thousands of generations) was what allowed Homo sapiens to evolve to what we are now. Our ability to adapt and change, to imagine what could happen in the future and ultimately learn strategies to negate some of those changes (ie. carrying food back to a 'home' ground and plating useful plants nearby to negate periods of famine) have produced the only animal on Earth that influences it's environment as much as we do now.
He goes on to say that this is neither a bad or a good thing - we are products of nature and the natural order of things, and need to let go of the old thinking that we are somehow above such things. Future humans will still need to adapt to an ever changing world - whether we've contributed to or caused those changes, or whether 'nature' hits us with one of her periodic environmental swings.
There's so much more and so many more theories and ideas - too many to run through here. The author has a lovely style and even when he's explaining quite complicated science, you can easily follow along - sometimes he gets a bit carried away with the 'flowery' language, but I kind of like that juxtaposition between the hard facts.
A book to make you think ... well worth the read, especially the last chapter.
The author explores the evolution of man and how our 'Garden of Eden' concept of a stable, perfect natural world, where our ancestors lived in perfect harmony with their surroundings, isn't true. That only a shifting, changing environment (even if over thousands of generations) was what allowed Homo sapiens to evolve to what we are now. Our ability to adapt and change, to imagine what could happen in the future and ultimately learn strategies to negate some of those changes (ie. carrying food back to a 'home' ground and plating useful plants nearby to negate periods of famine) have produced the only animal on Earth that influences it's environment as much as we do now.
He goes on to say that this is neither a bad or a good thing - we are products of nature and the natural order of things, and need to let go of the old thinking that we are somehow above such things. Future humans will still need to adapt to an ever changing world - whether we've contributed to or caused those changes, or whether 'nature' hits us with one of her periodic environmental swings.
There's so much more and so many more theories and ideas - too many to run through here. The author has a lovely style and even when he's explaining quite complicated science, you can easily follow along - sometimes he gets a bit carried away with the 'flowery' language, but I kind of like that juxtaposition between the hard facts.
A book to make you think ... well worth the read, especially the last chapter.
December 31, 2014
Changed my life. Really. No shit.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews