The Evolution of Everything

by Brian Villmoare

Big History seeks to retell the human story in light of scientific advances by such methods as radiocarbon dating and genetic analysis. This book provides a deep, causal view of the forces that have shaped the universe, the earth, and humanity. Starting with the Big Bang and the formation of the earth, it traces the evolutionary history of the world, focusing on humanity's origins. It also explores the many natural forces shaping humanity, especially the evolution of the brain and behaviour. Moving through time, the causes of such important transformations as agriculture, complex societies, the industrial revolution, the enlightenment, and modernity are placed in the context of underlying changes in demography, learning, and social organization. Humans are biological creatures, operating with instincts evolved millions of years ago, but in the context of a rapidly changing world, and as we try to adapt to new circumstances, we must regularly reckon with our deep past.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

434 pages, Paperback

Published November 24, 2022

Reviews

[Yonis]

If this book ended after the chapter on brain evolution, and the wonderful comparison between Cephalopod and human intelligence, this would’ve been a great introductory book on how evolution and natural selection has shaped us, our world and history.

Unfortunately, the books continues and devolves into a “world history in cliched titbits”, as the author repeats the most tired talking points on a whole host of historical subjects (his discussion of the renaissance, Islamic golden age and neoliberalism are particularly comical).

Read the first 190 or so pages and leave it there.

[Nestor]

We can say that the book is uneven until Chapter 17 is very well documented and without too many opinions, just facts. After that, he starts to talk about religion, the economy, and how modern society is poorly documented and developed too biased and too pro-US biased opinions, we can say that is worthless. His opinions about a free economy are wrong contradicting the facts that consumers are informed, etc., etc. In Chapter 17 he wrongly accuses China of being a country where freedom is restricted, while in the US Afro-Americans and Mexicans are constantly attacked by police and government. His praises for Enlightenment in northern Europe crashed with the reality that it started in Italy.

It's hilarious that in every other paragraph, he mentions that in the US that the church separated from the states when every presidency was winning with the discourse of "God", and even the dollar bills say "IN GOD WE TRUST" since 1957. The origins of "In God We Trust" as a political motto lie in the American Civil War, where Union supporters wanted to emphasize their attachment to God and to boost morale.

Regarding consciousness as an emerging property after reaching a certain brain size, he has no proof to tell that since we don't know if other animals have it, do bats, or cats have it? We don't know.

Considering the last part we can say that's another book written as paid misleading research without proper investigation and assertions.

[mohave]

I don't think this author understood what big history is. He probably thought that big history is simply dedicating the first half to a synthesis of the natural sciences and the second half to a synthesis of history. He didn't even talk about the climate crisis and has instead repeated like twenty times how slavery is bad. Extremely disappointing.
David Christian's Origin Story: A Big History of Everything is still the way to go.