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Being Human: How Our Biology Shaped World History

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Being Human: How Our Biology Shaped World History

Being Human: How Our Biology Shaped World History
Being Human: How Our Biology Shaped World History

History through the brilliance and frailty of bodies

This is a great read if you like big-history books that make familiar events feel newly alive. Dartnell’s most compelling trick is showing how our bodies and minds didn’t just live through history, but actively shaped empires, wars, progress, and failure. It feels smart and sweeping without losing the deeply human insight that our greatest strengths and worst flaws are often inseparable.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Being Human: How Our Biology Shaped World History

Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9781529925531
Related Collections: Science, History, Sociology
Related Topics: History, Evolution, World History, Anthropology, Psychology, Biology, Genetics

Description

Being Human is history made flesh. It will change the way you see the world. We are a wonder of evolution—powerful yet dexterous, instinctive yet thoughtful, we are expert communicators and innovators. Our exceptional abilities have created the civilisation we know today. But we're also deeply flawed. Our bodies break, choke and fail, whether we're kings or peasants. Diseases thwart our boldest plans. Our psychological biases have been at the root of terrible decisions in both war and peacetime. This extraordinary contradiction is the essence of what it means to be human—the sum total of our frailties and our faculties. And history has played out in the balance between them. Now, for the first time, Lewis Dartnell tells our story through the lens of this unique, capricious and fragile nature. He explores how our biology has shaped our relationships, our societies, our economies and our wars, and how it continues to challenge and define our progress. Praise for Lewis Dartnell's Origins and The Knowledge: "Stands comparison with Yuval Harari's Sapiens... A thrilling piece of big history" Sunday Times on Origins; "The most inspiring book I've read for a long time" Independent on The Knowledge. Author: Lewis Dartnell
 

History through the brilliance and frailty of bodies

This is a great read if you like big-history books that make familiar events feel newly alive. Dartnell’s most compelling trick is showing how our bodies and minds didn’t just live through history, but actively shaped empires, wars, progress, and failure. It feels smart and sweeping without losing the deeply human insight that our greatest strengths and worst flaws are often inseparable.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

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