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dejahentendu's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
This was a great book! Graeber and Wengrow integrate new archeological findings with anthropology and turn common belief on its side! In the same way that we used to think evolution was a progressive march to new and improved species, we also thought human development was an upward arc to better things, with capitalism and democracy at the apex. But we learned that evolution is a collection of paths through a forest, sometimes heading where we want to go and sometimes not. Mutations are random and not always beneficial. Thus, species don't always progress with chamge.
They posit the same for human history. We haven't been heading in a direct line to where we are, and we don't have to stay here. Levels of equality have come and gone, and maybe European patriarchal society isn't the apex.
Read this one.
They posit the same for human history. We haven't been heading in a direct line to where we are, and we don't have to stay here. Levels of equality have come and gone, and maybe European patriarchal society isn't the apex.
Read this one.
grosegreen's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.75
I finished this book after TWO AND A HALF YEARS! The ideas in it are fascinating and very well researched but it is limited by it's academic language and finishing it was a slog. I had to just put the audiobook on in the background to get it done. Innovative ideas which could have be edited from some innovative ways of communicating. Diagrams maybe? Pictures? Chapter summaries? An index?
letamcwilliams's review against another edition
5.0
Super dense but also very accessible. Making human history actually fun to read about.
joeymcshea's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
4.75