The Time Before History: Five Million Years of Human Imapct
Drawing on the findings of geology, anthropology, archaeology and earth science, Colin Tudge discusses in detail and intertwines histories of the planet Earth and the evolution of humankind. Nearly everyone thinks of human history as covering the past 2000 years. Yet, this conventional time period only tells us about the specific activities of human beings after they already controlled the world and mastered its other species; it does not tell us about the changing nature of plate tectonics and their impact on species evolution; it does not encompass the significance of how we separated from other animals in our own evolutionary development, nor of the tremendous impact we have had on our environment and other species. Science writer Tudge (The Engineer in the Garden: Genes and Genetics) begins by putting time into perspective so that we can understand how vast is our past; he helps us see that all evolution is part of a bigger whole-an unfolding process affected by shifting continents, climactic changes, and our own impact on the planet and its ecosystems.He defines our origins in a biological, as well as historical, context and applies the lessons that we should learn from our mistakes as well as our achievements to provide a blueprint for the future.
