Transcendence

Name: Transcendence
Brand: Penguin Random House NZ
SKU: 9780141984209
Price: 24.0 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

How Humans Evolved through Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time

By Gaia Vince

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3.98

( 879 ratings, 124 reviews)

Summary

Transcendence by Gaia Vince explores the extraordinary ways in which humans have transformed civilisation, highlighting how our species has bridged the gap between biology and culture. The book delves into the profound influences of genetics, culture, and environment, showcasing how these forces have propelled significant advancements throughout human history. It's an engaging synthesis of anthropology, biology, and history, tracing our evolutionary journey.
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Format: Paperback / softback

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're fascinated by how human culture, innovation, and biology have shaped our journey as a species. It offers insightful exploration into how our collective learning has driven human advancement, making it a captivating read for those interested in anthropology, history, and science.

Transcendence

Description

Transcendence by Gaia Vince is a TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2019, revealing the astonishing story of how culture enabled us to become the most successful species on Earth.

Humans are a planet-altering force. Our closest living relatives, the now-endangered chimpanzees, continue to live as they have for millions of years. Yet we evolved through the same process. What are we then?

Gaia Vince argues that our unique ability to determine the course of our own destiny rests on a special relationship between our genes, environment, and culture going back into deep time. It is our collective culture, rather than our individual intelligence, that makes humans unique.

Vince shows how four evolutionary drivers—Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time—are further transforming our species into a transcendent superorganism: a hyper-cooperative mass of humanity that she calls Homo omnis.

Drawing on leading-edge advances in population genetics, archaeology, palaeontology, and neuroscience, Transcendence compels us to reimagine ourselves, and shows us to be on the brink of something grander—and potentially more destructive.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Transcendence by Gaia Vince is praised for its engaging and enjoyable exploration of human evolutionary history. Reviewers highlight Vince's ability to weave connections across archaeology, anthropology, genetics, and psychology, particularly noting her insights into the interplay between genes, environment, and culture. The book is celebrated for its clarity and imaginative narrative, offering readers much to contemplate about human culture and evolution.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141984209

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 November 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 236g

Pages: 320

Collections

Education & Reference Gaia Vince History & Military Non-Fiction Penguin Books Science & Nature

About the Author

Gaia Vince is a science writer and broadcaster interested in the interplay between humans and the planetary environment. She has held senior editorial posts at Nature and New Scientist, and her writing has featured in newspapers and magazines including the Guardian, The Times and Scientific American. She also writes and presents science programmes for radio and television. Her research takes her across the world- she has visited more than 60 countries, lived in three and is currently based in London. In 2015, she became the first woman to win the Royal Society Science Book of the Year Prize solo for her debut, Adventures in the Anthropocene- A Journey to the Heart of the Planet We Made. She blogs at WanderingGaia.com and tweets at @WanderingGaia.