Being Human

How our biology shaped world history

Lewis Dartnell

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Paperback

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English

Bodley Head
06 June 2023

General & world history; Social & cultural history; Society & Social Sciences; Anthropology; Popular science; Human biology

A unique reframing of human history as shaped by our physical abilities and limitations - by the Sunday Times-bestselling author of Origins

Being Human is history made flesh. It will change the way you see the world.

We are a wonder of evolution. Powerful yet dextrous, 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. 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. And history has played out in the balance between them- from our reaction to caffeine shaping Islamic religious practices and the Black Death ending feudalism to haemophilia undermining royal families across Europe and scurvy inadvertently giving rise to the Mafia, we are the sum of our frailties and faculties.

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

By: Lewis Dartnell
Imprint: Bodley Head
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 154mm, Spine: 29mm
Weight: 445g
ISBN: 9781847926715
ISBN 10: 1847926711
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 06 June 2023
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Lewis Dartnell is an astrobiology researcher and professor at the University of Westminster. He has won several awards for his science writing, and contributes to the Guardian, The Times and New Scientist. He has also written for television and appeared on Horizon, Sky News, and Wonders of the Universe, as well as National Geographic and History channels. A tireless populariser of science, his previous books include the bestselling The Knowledge- How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch.

Reviews for Being Human: How our biology shaped world history

An illuminating journey through history using our bodies as the vehicle. It's quite a ride! * Tim Marshall, author of Prisoners of Geography * Stands comparison with Yuval Noah 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 * Brilliant... Dartnell has a rare talent in being able to see the big picture - and explaining why it matters * Peter Frankopan on Origins *