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Description
"When we talk about human history, we often focus on great leaders, population forces, and decisive wars. But how has the earth itself determined our destiny? Our planet wobbles, driving changes in climate that forced the transition from nomadism to farming. Mountainous terrain led to the development of democracy in Greece. Atmospheric circulation patterns later on shaped the progression of global exploration, colonization, and trade. Even today, voting behavior in the south-east United States ultimately follows the underlying pattern of 75 million-year-old sediments from an ancient sea. Everywhere is the deep imprint of the planetary on the human. From the cultivation of the first crops to the founding of modern states, Origins reveals the breathtaking impact of the earth beneath our feet on the shape of our human civilizations"--… (more)
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The overall theme is how plate techtonics have created our world, and shaped the
Dartnell is more interesting on maritime history particularly the Portuguese innovations in navigation that opened up the fast route to India - and by accident led to the discovery of Brazil - and how using the Roaring 40s in the Southern Hemisphere effectively opened up a super highway to Indonesia, but also led to the wreck of many a ship that missed its exit ramp, off the coast of Western Australia
So its interesting, but is told rather in the tone of a TV documentary; perhaps thats what it is, or will be. I was hoping for something a little more
- The shaping of modern human immune systems by multi-regional admixture with archaic humans.
- Climate change: biological and human
- Loess in Europe.
- The Barbegal water mill in its environment.
- The sea and civilization.
- Rich petroleum source rocks.
- Anthropogenic carbon release rate unprecedented during the past 66 million years.