文明是副产品

by 郑也夫

With unique insight, imaginary and exquisite textual research and bold inference, the writer reflects on the rise of civilization from the greatest inventions in early time such outbreeding, agriculture, writing, paper, woodblock printing techniques and movable-type printing. To a great extent, human civilization is the result of by-product, not of things meant for direct use. In fact, most things in the treasure house of human culture are useless. However, these things contain much more knowledge than useful things.

Genres: History

336 pages, ebook

First published November 30, 2015

Reviews

[Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book substantially demonstrated the idea that civilizational evolution is largely similar to biological evolution in multiple ways. The discussions were insightful, though occasionally lacking factual basis, but the message was delivered quite effectively. Nevertheless, I am not fully convinced by what the author proposed to be the relevance of his theory to everyday innovations, methodologically speaking.

[YimHoel Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

这本不如前两本有趣，介绍造纸术与印刷术起源和传播时引用的史料太多，解释得不充分，对抱着科普心态来读的我来说很累。最后一章与将文化演变与达尔文的演化论相对比，总结性地批判了目的论，看到这才明白标题的用意何在，回过头来想确实是这么一回事。

[YHC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read all the books of Jared Diamond, therefore i find not much new stuff for me to discover.

[慧芳 · Rating 5 out of 5]

本书通过六个文明（外婚制、农业、文字、造纸术、雕版印刷、活字印刷）重大突破的诞生历程或成因，辐辏出共同的文明与文化演进的逻辑主轴，阐述了一个观点：人类文明不是目的和计划的产物。