The Story of the Human Body

Evolution, Health, and Disease

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The Story of the Human Body

By: Daniel E. Lieberman

Narrated by: Sean Runnette

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In this landmark book of popular science, Daniel E. Lieberman—chair of the department of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University and a leader in the field—gives us a lucid and engaging account of how the human body evolved over millions of years, even as it shows how the increasing disparity between the jumble of adaptations in our Stone Age bodies and advancements in the modern world is occasioning this paradox: greater longevity but increased chronic disease.

The Story of the Human Body brilliantly illuminates as never before the major transformations that contributed key adaptations to the body: the rise of bipedalism; the shift to a non-fruit-based diet; the advent of hunting and gathering, leading to our superlative endurance athleticism; the development of a very large brain; and the incipience of cultural proficiencies. Lieberman also elucidates how cultural evolution differs from biological evolution, and how our bodies were further transformed during the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions.

While these ongoing changes have brought about many benefits, they have also created conditions to which our bodies are not entirely adapted, Lieberman argues, resulting in the growing incidence of obesity and new but avoidable diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. Lieberman proposes that many of these chronic illnesses persist and in some cases are intensifying because of “dysevolution,” a pernicious dynamic whereby only the symptoms rather than the causes of these maladies are treated. 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.

(With charts and line drawings throughout.)

Daniel E. LiebermanSean RunnetteRandom House Audio

Biological Sciences

Diets, Nutrition & Healthy Eating

Evolution

Evolution & Genetics

Fitness, Diet & Nutrition

Physical Illness & Disease

Science

Nutrition

Adaptation

Health

Healthy Diet

Infant

Thought-Provoking

Longevity

Physical Exercise

Africa

Physiology

Biological Sciences Diets, Nutrition & Healthy Eating Evolution Evolution & Genetics Fitness, Diet & Nutrition Physical Illness & Disease Science Nutrition Adaptation Health Healthy Diet Infant Thought-Provoking Longevity Physical Exercise Africa Physiology

Most relevant

I relate to this book big time because I read the tile of Charles Darwin's " On the Origin of Species!" And can see and understand every chapter on this book. All this book is pointing out is "Missmatch Diseases " and " Disevolution" ! As Mankin saw the trick of life, It's our time now to materialise the saying " Man was born on Earth but will not die on Earth" it sound silly but of all species that evolved on Earth and Extinct on Earth did really die on Earth. As President Emmanuel Macron of France said " There is NO Planet B" Really means that once we destroy our planet, really there's no second Planet to go to.

Mismatch Diseases and Disevolution must be managed and eradicated as long as we want to Enjoy Mother Earth for the foreseeable future

period!!!