A review by dejahentendu
The Dawn of Everything by David Wengrow, David Graeber

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.