The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and DiseaseA landmark book of popular science that gives us a lucid and engaging account of how the human body evolved over millions of years—with charts and line drawings throughout. “Fascinating.... A readable introduction to the whole field and great on the making of our physicality.”—Nature In this book, Daniel E. Lieberman illuminates the major transformations that contributed to key adaptations to the body: the rise of bipedalism; the shift to a non-fruit-based diet; the advent of hunting and gathering; and how cultural changes like the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions have impacted us physically. He shows how the increasing disparity between the jumble of adaptations in our Stone Age bodies and advancements in the modern world is occasioning a paradox: greater longevity but increased chronic disease. And finally—provocatively—he advocates the use of evolutionary information to help nudge, push, and sometimes even compel us to create a more salubrious environment and pursue better lifestyles. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
Upstanding Apes | 25 |
Much Depends on Dinner | 48 |
The First HunterGatherers | 67 |
Energy in the Ice Age | 94 |
A Very Cultured Species | 126 |
Progress Mismatch and Dysevolution | 157 |
Paradise Lost? | 180 |
Other editions - View all
The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health and Disease Daniel Lieberman No preview available - 2013 |
The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health and Disease Daniel Lieberman No preview available - 2013 |
Common terms and phrases
ability adapted addition Africa American animals apes australopiths become better bigger blood body bone brain calories cancer cause cells chew chimps common consider cost cultural developed diabetes diet diseases early effects energy environments erectus et al evidence evolutionary evolved example exercise face fact factors farmers farming feet figure forces fruit function gathering genes genetic glucose grow heart hominins Homo human body Human Evolution hunter-gatherers hunting important increase Industrial insulin Journal legs less levels live lower major Medicine million mismatch diseases modern humans muscles natural selection Neanderthals obesity occur origins Paleolithic percent physical activity plants population prevent probably problem rates reason recent requires risk running Science sometimes species spend stress sugar teeth tion treat University Press walking weight