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The Fifth Beginning
What Six Million Years of Human History Can Tell Us about Our Future
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The Fifth Beginning
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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?
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Description
“I have seen yesterday. I know tomorrow.” This inscription in Tutankhamun’s tomb summarises The Fifth Beginning. Here, archaeologist Robert L. Kelly explains how the study of our cultural past can predict the future of humanity.
In an eminently readable style, Kelly identifies four key pivot points in the six-million-year history of human development: the emergence of technology, culture, agriculture, and the state. In each example, the author examines the long-term processes that resulted in a definitive, no-turning-back change for the organisation of society.
Kelly then looks ahead, giving us evidence for what he calls a fifth beginning, one that started around AD 1500. Some might call it “globalisation,” but the author places it in its larger context: a five-thousand-year arms race, capitalism’s global reach, and the cultural effects of a worldwide communication network.
Kelly predicts that the emergent phenomena of this fifth beginning will include the end of war as a viable way to resolve disputes, the end of capitalism as we know it, the widespread shift toward world citizenship, and the rise of forms of cooperation that will end the near-sacred status of nation-states. It’s the end of life as we have known it.
However, the author is cautiously optimistic: he dwells not on the coming chaos, but on humanity’s great potential.
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?
The Fifth Beginning by Dr. Robert L. Kelly is praised for its articulate and engaging writing style, making complex archaeological concepts accessible to a wide audience. It emphasises the significance of archaeology in understanding both the past and the future, offering fresh perspectives without relying on the allure of dramatic discoveries. The book is considered an exemplary piece in its field, potentially destined to become a classic.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780520303485
Publisher: University of California Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 12 February 2019
Country: United States
Imprint: University of California Press
Illustration: 2 maps, 2 charts
Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 15.0mm
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 229.0mm
Weight: 272g
Pages: 168
About the Author
Robert L. Kelly is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wyoming. He is a past president of the Society for American Archaeology, current editor of American Antiquity, author of The Lifeways of Hunter-Gatherers, and coauthor of two popular textbooks, Archaeology and Archaeology: Down to Earth. He has conducted archaeological research throughout the western United States for more than forty years.
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