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Civilized to death : the price of progress / Christopher Ryan.
The New York Times best selling co-author of Sex at Dawn explores the ways in which 'progress' has perverted the way we live: how people eat, learn, feel, mate, parent, communicate, work, and die.
Prehistoric life was not without serious dangers and disadvantages: many babies died in infancy; a broken bone, infected wound, snakebite, or difficult pregnancy could be life-threatening. Were these pre-civilized dangers more murderous than modern scourges such as car accidents, cancers, cardiovascular disease, and a technologically prolonged dying process? Ryan counters the idea that progress is inherently good, arguing that the "progress" defining our age is analogous to an advancing disease. He makes the claim that we should start looking backward to find our way into a better future. -- adapted from jacket.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781451659108
- ISBN: 1451659105
- Physical Description: xiii, 288 pages ; 24 cm
- Edition: First Avid Reader Press hardcover edition.
- Publisher: New York : Avid Reader Press, 2019.
- Copyright: ©2019
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 255-272) and index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Introduction: Know thy species -- Origin stories. What we talk about when we talk about prehistory ; Civilization and its dissonance -- Apocalypse always (The NPP in the present). The myth of the savage savage (Declaring war on peace) ; The irrational optimist -- Reflections in an ancient mirror (Being human). The naturalistic fallacy fallacy ; Born to be wild ; Raising hell ; Turbulent teens ; Anxious adults -- A prehistoric path into the future. All's well that ends well ; In the absence of the sacred -- Conclusion: A necessary utopia. |
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| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homer Public Library | 303.44 RYA (Text) | 000161431 | Nonfiction | Available | - |
Summary:
The New York Times best selling co-author of Sex at Dawn explores the ways in which 'progress' has perverted the way we live: how people eat, learn, feel, mate, parent, communicate, work, and die.
Prehistoric life was not without serious dangers and disadvantages: many babies died in infancy; a broken bone, infected wound, snakebite, or difficult pregnancy could be life-threatening. Were these pre-civilized dangers more murderous than modern scourges such as car accidents, cancers, cardiovascular disease, and a technologically prolonged dying process? Ryan counters the idea that progress is inherently good, arguing that the "progress" defining our age is analogous to an advancing disease. He makes the claim that we should start looking backward to find our way into a better future. -- adapted from jacket.
Prehistoric life was not without serious dangers and disadvantages: many babies died in infancy; a broken bone, infected wound, snakebite, or difficult pregnancy could be life-threatening. Were these pre-civilized dangers more murderous than modern scourges such as car accidents, cancers, cardiovascular disease, and a technologically prolonged dying process? Ryan counters the idea that progress is inherently good, arguing that the "progress" defining our age is analogous to an advancing disease. He makes the claim that we should start looking backward to find our way into a better future. -- adapted from jacket.