The Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment
In humanity’s more than 100,000 year history, we have evolved from vulnerable creatures clawing sustenance from Earth to a sophisticated global society manipulating every inch of it. In short, we have become the dominant animal. Why, then, are we creating a world that threatens our own species? What can we do to change the current trajectory toward more climate change, increased famine, and epidemic disease?\ \ Renowned Stanford scientists Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich believe...
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Renowned Stanford scientists Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich believe that intelligently addressing today’s great environmental and social challenges requires a clear understanding of how we evolved and how we’re changing the planet. The Dominant Animal offers readers that knowledge, tracing the interplay between environmental change and genetic and cultural evolution since the dawn of humanity. Tackling the fundamental challenge of the human predicament, Paul and Anne Ehrlich offer a vivid and unique exploration of our origins, our evolution, and our future. Plenty “…The Dominant Animal tells the story of how mankind came to dominate nearly every inch of the earth. [It] spans the entire history of the world, weaving both cultural and biological evolution into the ambitious narrative. At its core are timely questions we would all do well to consider: Is it in our best interest to dominate Earth? Are we creating a future we want to live in?”
Prologue 3Ch. 1 Darwin's Legacy and Mendel's Mechanism 9Ch. 2 The Entangled Bank 35Ch. 3 Our Distant Past 54Ch. 4 Of Genes and Culture 68Ch. 5 Cultural Evolution: How We Relate to One Another 97Ch. 6 Perception, Evolution, and Beliefs 119Ch. 7 The Ups and Downs of Populations 140Ch. 8 History as Cultural Evolution 158Ch. 9 Cycles of Life (and Death) 172Ch. 10 Ecosystems and Human Domination of Earth 193Ch. 11 Consumption and Its Costs 207Ch. 12 A New Imperative 234Ch. 13 Altering the Global Atmosphere 255Ch. 14 Energy: Are We Running Out of It? 290Ch. 15 Saving Our Natural Capital 310Ch. 16 Governance: Tackling Unanticipated Consequences 331Epilogue 363Notes 369Selected Bibliography 381Acknowledgments 403Index 407
\ Plenty“…The Dominant Animal tells the story of how mankind came to dominate nearly every inch of the earth. [It] spans the entire history of the world, weaving both cultural and biological evolution into the ambitious narrative. At its core are timely questions we would all do well to consider: Is it in our best interest to dominate Earth? Are we creating a future we want to live in?”\ \ \ \ \ \ Seed“Alpha male and female of contemporary science ... the Ehrlichs convey a message at once chilling and hopeful…. The big ideas and the tenor of The Dominant Animal are right on. The book rejects starry eyed insistence on new technology as humankind's savior in favor of socially responsible, if admittedly difficult-to-enact, prescriptions.”\ \ \ \ Washington Post“No one has more authority to write on these matters than the husband-and-wife team of Stanford biologists Paul and Anne Ehrlich. For decades now they have been documenting and warning of humans' effects on the environment. Their new book, The Dominant Animal, continues their chronicle of the damage we have done to our home…. This is an important book,with much information and some really stimulating ideas. We need to build on these ideas, because the world is in an environmental mess and things are not getting better."\ \ \ \ \ \ Nuvo WeeklyOne of the essential books of 2008.... The Ehrlichs walk you through a basic course in evolution and genetics before moving into a cultural evolution and its devastating impact on ecosystems, worldwide.\ \ \ \ \ \ Palo Alto WeeklyThe Ehrlichs, in The Dominant Animal, cover an enormous amount of scientific ground in looking at both the big picture in terms of environmental dangers and challenges while also offering detailed explanations of how humans have evolved, both genetically and culturally, within our environment. The book relates precise science in easily understandable terms.\ \ \ \ \ \ New ScientistCovering a vast swathe of disciplines, from genetics, evolution and ecology to climatology, economics and global politics, the book almost reads like a primer for the concerned citizen.... This marvellous compendium should be required reading.\ \ \ \ \ \ \ Vancouver SunIn The Dominant Animal, the Ehrlichs step back and analyse the big picture, looking carefully at how humans have evolved to dominance and, in the process, are laying waste the planet. Their message is that our technological advances aren't matched by how well we treat one another or the environment around us.\ \ \ \ \ \ ShiftImagine a UN Millennium Assessment of Human Behavior! This an important and sobering work…\ \ \ \ \ \ Eagle TribuneIs there an armchair scientist on your gift list? Then you can't go wrong with The Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment by Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich. This fascinating book is not for a lightweight; it's filled with hypotheses, insight and ideas for thinkers. This is a perfect gift for someone who loves to study culture, but will also be a great for anyone who's trying to "go green" this year."\ \ \ \ \ \ Trends in Ecology and Evolution"Buy this for your next seminar class.... or be inspired and make an undergraduate course out of it...Yes, you've read some of this before, but not all of it, and not told so well, or with such passion and humor."\ — Stuart Pimm\ \ \ \ \ \ Trends in Ecology and Evolution"Buy this for your next seminar class.... or be inspired and make an undergraduate course out of it...Yes, you've read some of this before, but not all of it, and not told so well, or with such passion and humor." \ \ \ \ \ \ author of prize-winning books such as Collapse and Guns, Germs, and Steel"This sparkling book is a great guide to what's essential about humans, the world, and how they affect each other. Along the way, you'll pick up delicious tidbits such as what Mussolini's basic problem was, and why we are so sure that tiny sequoia seeds grow into 300-foot sequoia trees even though no one has ever seen it happen."\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ and Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy, Harvard University“No other scientific couple could produce a book of this brilliance on where we came from and where we're going. The Ehrlichs, who have been at the cutting edge of the science, have interwoven evolutionary history and our environmental dilemma into a compelling and vital story.”\ \ \ \ \ \ \ author of The Bill McKibben Reader“This is a grand tour of the current state of ecological science, and a tour de force of observation, insight, and suggestion.”\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ President, Missouri Botanical Garden"This is a brilliant and fascinating account of how we became the planet's ruling species and now the major force determining the future of evolution. The Ehrlichs' broad perspective and lucid prose bring fresh understanding to what's going on in the world today. Everyone should read this book.” \ \ \
