Catching Fire

Name: Catching Fire
Brand: Allen & Unwin
SKU: 9781846682865
Price: 36.99 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

How Cooking Made Us Human

By Richard Wrangham

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3.88

( 4,063 ratings, 527 reviews)

Summary

Catching Fire by Richard Wrangham explores the transformative role of cooking in human evolution. Wrangham argues that the invention of cooking was a pivotal turn in the development of human biology and culture, influencing our anatomy, social behaviours, and even gender roles. Engaging with a range of scientific research, the book presents a compelling case for how cooking made us who we are today.
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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?

If you're fascinated by how cooking has shaped human evolution and the rise of civilization, this science and nature book may captivate you. It explores the revolutionary role that fire and cooking played in transforming not just our diet, but also our biology and social structures.

Catching Fire

In 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

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

Collections

Cook Books & Recipes Cooking & Food Education & Reference Non-Fiction Richard Wrangham Science & Nature

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.