Pandora's Seed: Why the Hunter-Gatherer Holds the Key to Our Survival

Pandora's Seed: Why the Hunter-Gatherer Holds the Key to Our Survival
ISBN-10
0812971914
ISBN-13
9780812971910
Category
Science
Pages
256
Language
English
Published
2011-09-13
Publisher
Random House Trade Paperbacks
Author
Spencer Wells

Description

Ten thousand years ago, our species made a radical shift in its way of life: We became farmers rather than hunter-gatherers. Although this decision propelled us into the modern world, renowned geneticist and anthropologist Spencer Wells demonstrates that such a dramatic change in lifestyle had a downside that we’re only now beginning to recognize. Growing grain crops ultimately made humans more sedentary and unhealthy and made the planet more crowded. The expanding population and the need to apportion limited resources created hierarchies and inequalities. Freedom of movement was replaced by a pressure to work that is the forebear of the anxiety millions feel today. Spencer Wells offers a hopeful prescription for altering a life to which we were always ill-suited. Pandora’s Seed is an eye-opening book for anyone fascinated by the past and concerned about the future.

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