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Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease
Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease | Daniel Lieberman
1 post | 7 read | 4 to read
In this landmark book of popular science, Daniel E. Lieberman gives us a lucid and engaging account of how the human body evolved over millions of years. He illuminates the major transformations that contributed to key adaptations to the body: the rise of bipedalism; the shift to a non-fruit-based diet; the advent of hunting and gathering; and how cultural changes like the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions have impacted us physically. He shows how the increasing disparity between the jumble of adaptations in our Stone Age bodies and advancements in the modern world is occasioning a paradox: greater longevity but increased chronic disease. And finally provocatively he advocates the use of evolutionary information to help nudge, push, and sometimes even compel us to create a more salubrious environment and pursue better lifestyles. [With charts and line drawings throughout.]"
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DrAli
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Fantastic stuff. Dan Lieberman, Chair of the Dept of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard, has studied the evolution of human biomechanics and physiology for some time. In this book, he shows how our human bodies were shaped over 6m years of evolution as hunter-gatherers. These ancient bodies clash with modern surroundings, resulting in mismatch diseases: diabetes, myopia, fallen arches, osteoporosis. Engaging & supremely enlightening read.