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Life Story
From Cells to Civilisations and Beyond
Brief Description
The revelatory account of the great defining forces of human life - the nature that made us, the culture that shaped us and the future we now face. There is nothing quite like us on Earth. We are a species of animal, yet unlike any other;...
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Description
The revelatory account of the great defining forces of human life - the nature that made us, the culture that shaped us and the future we now face.
There is nothing quite like us on Earth. We are a species of animal, yet unlike any other; we innovate, explore, talk, plan, build vast societies, cooperate, wage war, construct and destruct our environment. Our story is not a simple biological thread, but an intertwined web of nature and culture that has shaped our past, defines our present and can help us navigate our future.
Life Story is Jonathan Loh's groundbreaking dual narrative of the development of life on Earth through both biological and cultural evolution. Far from being a byproduct of nature, he reveals how human culture is a distinct form of life, its evolution through cooperation, language, and technology echoing the diversification of organic life from simple cells to multicellular, social animals - and how it gives us unique advantages and responsibilities.
But evolution is not finite. In a future in which our machine-based creations could evolve into a life form of their own, Loh outlines an extraordinary scenario for the next evolutionary leap, based on a new understanding of our cultural and natural heritage and the power they give us to change the world.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781911717195
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 27 August 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Fern Press
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 40.0mm
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 700g
Pages: 544
About the Author
Originally trained in biology, environmental science and anthropology, Dr Jonathan Loh is an independent scientist and consultant to organisations such as the UN Environment Programme and the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) on the conservation of biological and cultural diversity. He was the founding editor of WWF's biennial Living Planet Report, which documents the changing state of global biodiversity and the human footprint on our planet.
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