Transcendence : how humans evolved through fire, language, beauty, and time

Title:

Author:

Summary:

What enabled us to go from simple stone tools to smartphones? How did bands of hunter-gatherers evolve into multinational empires? Readers of Sapiens will say a cognitive revolution -- a dramatic evolutionary change that altered our brains, turning primitive humans into modern ones -- caused a cultural explosion. In Transcendence, Gaia Vince argues instead that modern humans are the product of a nuanced coevolution of our genes, environment, and culture that goes back into deep time. She explains how, through four key elements -- fire, language, beauty, and time -- our species diverged from the evolutionary path of all other animals, unleashing a compounding process that launched us into the Space Age and beyond. Provocative and poetic, Transcendence shows how a primate took dominion over nature and turned itself into something marvelous.

General Note:

"January 2020"--Title page verso.

Edition:

First edition.

Contents:

Introduction -- Genesis. 1. Conception ; 2. Birth -- Fire. 3. Landscaping ; 4. Brain building ; 5. Cultural levers -- Word. 6. Story ; 7. Language ; 8. Telling -- Beauty. 9. Belonging ; 10. Trinkets and treasures ; 11. Builders -- Time. 12. Timekeepers ; 13. Reason ; 14. Homni.

Physical Description:

viii, 335 pages ; 25 cm

Subject Term:

Language and languages -- Origin.

Nature (Aesthetics)

Time perception.

Publisher:

Basic Books,

Publication Date:

2020

ISBN:

9780465094905

Publication Information:

New York : Basic Books, 2020.

Call Number:

599.938 VINCE

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003490540	Adult Nonfiction	599.938 VINCE	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

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Summary

In the tradition of Guns, Germs, and Steel and Sapiens, a winner of the Royal Society Prize for Science Books shows h ow four tools enabled has us humans to control the destiny of our species
"A wondrous, visionary work." --Tim Flannery, scientist and author of the bestselling The Weather Makers
What enabled us to go from simple stone tools to smartphones? How did bands of hunter-gatherers evolve into multinational empires? Readers of Sapiens will say a cognitive revolution -- a dramatic evolutionary change that altered our brains, turning primitive humans into modern ones -- caused a cultural explosion. In Transcendence , Gaia Vince argues instead that modern humans are the product of a nuanced coevolution of our genes, environment, and culture that goes back into deep time. She explains how, through four key elements -- fire, language, beauty, and time -- our species diverged from the evolutionary path of all other animals, unleashing a compounding process that launched us into the Space Age and beyond. Provocative and poetic, Transcendence shows how a primate took dominion over nature and turned itself into something marvelous.

Author Notes

Gaia Vince is the author of Adventures in the Anthropocene: A Journey to the Heart of the Planet we Made, which won the 2015 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Science writer Vince (Adventures in the Anthropocene) looks at human evolution in terms of four elements--dubbed Fire, Word, Beauty, and Time--in this stimulating account. She begins with humans' literal and figurative quest for fire and other forms of energy in order "to escape our biological limitations and exceed our physical capabilities." Word, meanwhile, covers how language and storytelling contributed to humanity's evolutionary success. The final two elements are connected more tenuously to their titles, with Beauty referring to "the importance of meaning in our activities," and Time to the human drive to understand and explain nature. Throughout, she uses up-to-date scholarship, such as on how Neanderthal and Denisovan genetic material expresses itself in current human populations. Vince's fascinating examples draw from cultures as diverse as Ice Age humans, ancient Greeks and Romans, and contemporary hunter-gatherer societies--including one in which, anthropologists report, the "best storytellers have the most children"--as well as modern urban dwellers. While warning that the "norms" fostering "large and multicultural societies" have weakened recently, she urges readers to take a long view and remember that humanity has often effected "great social improvements in a very short time." Even those broadly familiar with humanity's story will find new information and insights in Vince's fascinating study. (Jan.)

Library Journal Review

Vinces (Adventures in the Anthropocene) writes a thoughtful and engaging book about the nature (or nurture) of human evolution. "Fire" details how the use of tools helped our species to outsource energy, allowing us to devote ourselves to intellectual advancements. "Language" addresses how communication, including instruction, allowed our species to better connect to one another societally, increasing our chances of survival. "Beauty" speaks to our need for meaning and artistic expression while "Time" emphasizes our desire for objective, rational facts and information. The strongest of the two sections are "Fire" and "Language," with "Beauty" becoming more esoteric and theoretical and "Time" more scattered and difficult to follow. Overall, however, it is a strong, well-written work with solid science to back up the suggested theories. Vince may confuse biologists with her approach to species names and concepts, but that's a minor quibble for an otherwise enjoyable and engaging read. VERDICT An engaging, well-researched book for anyone curious about the development of humanity as approached through a social lens.--Esther Jackson, New York Botanical Garden

Introduction	p. 1
Genesis	p. 11
1 Conception	p. 13
2 Birth	p. 19
Fire	p. 27
3 Landscaping	p. 29
4 Brain Building	p. 43
5 Cultural Levers	p. 59
Word	p. 79
6 Story	p. 81
7 Language	p. 105
8 Telling	p. 127
Beauty	p. 147
9 Belonging	p. 149
10 Trinkets and Treasures	p. 175
11 Builders	p. 199
Time	p. 227
12 Timekeepers	p. 229
13 Reason	p. 245
14 Homni	p. 265
Acknowledgments	p. 279
Notes	p. 281
Index	p. 327

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Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents