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Catching Fire
How Cooking Made Us Human
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Check link for latest rating. ( 4,063 ratings, 527 reviews)
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Format: Paperback / softback
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See moreIn this stunningly original book, Richard Wrangham argues that it was cooking that caused the extraordinary transformation of our ancestors from apelike beings to Homo erectus.
'Absolutely fascinating' Nigella Lawson
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Description
At the heart of Catching Fire lies an explosive new idea: the habit of eating cooked rather than raw food permitted the digestive tract to shrink and the human brain to grow, helped structure human society, and created the male-female division of labour. As our ancestors adapted to using fire, humans emerged as 'the cooking ape'.
Covering everything from food-labelling and overweight pets to raw-food faddists, Catching Fire offers a startlingly original argument about how we came to be the social, intelligent, and sexual species we are today.
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?
Catching Fire by Richard Wrangham provides a compelling new theory that explores how cooking transformed our ancestors from apelike beings into Homo erectus, challenging the centrality of language, emotional intelligence, or the opposable thumb in human development. The book, praised for its lucid and persuasive arguments, integrates anthropology, biology, and other sciences to demonstrate how the mastery of fire and cooking was pivotal in evolving human society, intelligence, and social structures. Reviews highlight its engaging storytelling and rigorous analysis, making it an intriguing and enjoyable read for both science enthusiasts and general readers.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781846682865
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 27 May 2010
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Profile Books Ltd
Edition: Main
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 28.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 220g
Pages: 320
About the Author
Richard Wrangham is the Ruth Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard University, Curator of Primate Behavioral Biology at the Peabody Museum, and Director of the Kibale Chimpanzee Project in Uganda. He is the co-author of Demonic Males and co-editor of Primate Societies, Chimpanzee Cultures, Science and Conservation in African Forests, and Sexual Coercion in Primates. He has been featured on NPR and in the Boston Globe, New Scientist, Scientific American, and more. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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