A Brief Natural History of Civilization
Why a Balance Between Cooperation & Competition Is Vital to Humanity
by Mark Bertness
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 21 Apr 2020 | Archive Date 7 May 2020
Talking about this book? Use #ABriefNaturalHistoryofCivilization #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
Offering a bold new understanding of who we are, where we came from, and where we are going, noted ecologist Mark Bertness argues that human beings and their civilization are the products of the same self‑organization, evolutionary adaptation, and natural selection processes that have created all other life on Earth. Bertness follows the evolutionary process from the primordial soup of two billion years ago through today, exploring the ways opposing forces of competition and cooperation have led to current assemblages of people, animals, and plants.
Bertness’s thoughtful examination of human history from the perspective of natural history provides new insights about why and how civilization developed as it has and explores how humans, as a species, might have to consciously overrule our evolutionary drivers to survive future challenges.
Advance Praise
“Starting from ecological and evolutionary principles that transcend our own species, Mark Bertness offers a new perspective on the rise of human civilization.”—Judith Bronstein, editor of Mutualism
"A Brief Natural History of Civilization uses the science of natural history to frame the peril and promise of our times."—Paul Ewald, author of Plague Time: The New Germ Theory of Disease
“Understanding the “big picture” of the development and trajectory of human civilization is vital as a global society faces collapse. Bertness’ book provides a brilliant short course on what should be the central topic for public education today.”—Paul R. Ehrlich, author of Human Natures
"A remarkable, far-ranging synthesis with something new and eye-opening on just about every page. Mark Bertness points to the powerful force of cooperation as our best hope."—James Gustave Speth, author of America the Possible: Manifesto for a New Economy
“Who am I? This book weaves a powerful argument that our sense of self and our culture is very tightly coupled to our sense of place in nature. A remarkable synthesis!”—Paul Dayton, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780300245912 |
| PRICE | US$30.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 320 |
