The Dominant Animal

In humanity's more than 100,000 year history, we have evolved from vulnerable creatures wresting sustenance from Earth to a sophisticated global society manipulating every inch of it. In short, we have become the dominant animal. But there's a flip side of this triumphant story of innovation and conquest. As we clear forests to raise crops and build cities, lace the continents with highways, and create chemicals never before seen in nature, we may be undermining our own supremacy.Renowned Stanford scientists Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich believe that intelligently addressing today's great environmental and social challenges requires a clear understanding of how we evolved and how we're changing the planet. "The Dominant Animal" offers readers that knowledge, tracing the interplay between environmental change and genetic and cultural evolution since the dawn of humanity. Tackling the fundamental challenge of the human predicament, Paul and Anne Ehrlich offer a vivid and unique exploration of our origins, our evolution, and our future.

ISBN 1597260967   Pages 472 ISBN13 9781597260961 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Island Press   Weight (grammes) 776 Imprint Island Press   Published in Washington Format Hardback   Height (mm) 229 Publication date 30 Jun 2008   Width (mm) 152 Library of Congress 2007050706   Spine width (mm) 33 DEWEY 304.2   Academic level General, Tertiary education DEWEY edition DC22   Alternative ISBN 9781597264631

		Prologue		3
Ch. 1		Darwin's Legacy and Mendel's Mechanism		9
Ch. 2		The Entangled Bank		35
Ch. 3		Our Distant Past		54
Ch. 4		Of Genes and Culture		68
Ch. 5		Cultural Evolution: How We Relate to One Another		97
Ch. 6		Perception, Evolution, and Beliefs		119
Ch. 7		The Ups and Downs of Populations		140
Ch. 8		History as Cultural Evolution		158
Ch. 9		Cycles of Life (and Death)		172
Ch. 10		Ecosystems and Human Domination of Earth		193
Ch. 11		Consumption and Its Costs		207
Ch. 12		A New Imperative		234
Ch. 13		Altering the Global Atmosphere		255
Ch. 14		Energy: Are We Running Out of It?		290
Ch. 15		Saving Our Natural Capital		310
Ch. 16		Governance: Tackling Unanticipated Consequences		331
		Epilogue		363
		Notes		369
		Selected Bibliography		381
		Acknowledgments		403
		Index		407

"This sparkling book is a great guide to what''s essential about humans, the world, and how they affect each other. Along the way, you''ll pick up delicious tidbits such as what Mussolini''s basic problem was, and why we are so sure that tiny sequoia seeds grow into 300-foot sequoia trees even though no one has ever seen it happen." --Jared Diamond, Professor of Geography at UCLA and "author of prize-winning books such as Collapse and Guns, Germs, and Steel "

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