Het boek over de mensheid

by Adam Rutherford, Frans van Delft (Translator), Henk Moerdijk (Translator)

Adam Rutherford vertelt in Het boek over de mensheid een origineel en onderhoudend verhaal over leven op aarde, en hoe we zijn geworden wie we nu zijn. Als mensen denken wij graag dat we de superieure wezens zijn op aarde, maar is dat wel zo? Zit er wel echt zoveel verschil tussen ons en de andere dieren? We zijn tenslotte niet de enige wezens die communiceren, gereedschap maken, vuur gebruiken of seks hebben met een andere reden dan voortplanting. Adam Rutherford vertelt op originele en intrigerende wijze het verhaal van ons leven op aarde, van het eerste begin tot nu. Aan de hand van recente wetenschappelijke ontdekkingen laat hij zien hoe weinig we eigenlijk verschillen van de dieren – en wat ons dat toch uitzonderlijk maakt.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, History, Biology, Anthropology, Evolution, Audiobook

264 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2016

About the author

Adam David Rutherford is a British geneticist, author, and broadcaster. He was an audio-visual content editor for the journal Nature for a decade, is a frequent contributor to the newspaper The Guardian, hosts the BBC Radio 4 programme Inside Science, has produced several science documentaries and has published books related to genetics and the origin of life.

Reviews

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thoughtful, informative book that doesn't really achieve what it sets out to do. It seeks to show how we became uniquely human. But the first 2/3 actually shows how many of our attributes including tool use, fire use and different kinds of sexual behaviour are seen elsewhere in nature. In the last 3rd, Rutherford traces how we got here by looking at genetics, palaeontology and more parallels from animal behaviour. Ultimately, he suggests, our sociability and urge to communicate allowed us to create the rich culture that sets us apart, but it's not an especially compelling argument, as presented. I found myself thinking back to Frans De Waals' wonderful Are We Smart Enough To Know How Smart Animals Are, and Rutherford himself acknowledges that our differences from other animals is of degree, not kind. Ultimately, a fascinating survey of evolution with some very recent research included - like the 2018 discovery of art produced by neanderthals - but not a persuasive case for human exceptionalis's causes (much of which might be down to chance - we're hardly the first species to dominate the planet).

[Kat Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not what you would consider a science-literate person. But I thought this book was well-written and thoughtful. There should probably be some warning for readers though that the subject of coercive sex is brought up in the animal kingdom.

[Sandra Deaconu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adam Rutherford își propune să ne disece evoluția folosindu-se de paleontologie, antropologie, genetică și, uneori, de biologie ca unelte. În încercarea de a face asta, dezbate aspecte precum mersul biped, sexualitatea la noi și alte animale, evidențierea trăsăturilor care ne deosebesc, dar și a similitudinilor cu alte specii. Delfinii au de două ori mai multe celule nervoase în cortex (zonă a creierului responsabilă pentru gândurile și comportamentele complexe). Totuși, ei nu pot să scrie o carte care să îți răscolească sufletul, și nu pentru că nu au mâini. Elefanții au de trei ori mai mulți neuroni, dar nici ei nu pot crea artă și cultură. Din nou, nu pentru că nu au mâini. Codul nostru genetic este aproximativ universal, aproape toate organismele utilizând 64 de codoni, dar noi suntem specia superioară și poate că tocmai asta ne împinge spre aroganța cu care încercăm să le distrugem pe celelalte, ba chiar și pe a noastră. O lectură greoaie pentru mine, dar asta pentru că nu mă pasionează deloc subiectul, din păcate, și am citit-o doar pentru cultura generală, însă pentru cei interesați este densă, cuprinzătoare și lămuritoare în multe privințe. Recenzia aici: https://bit.ly/3dVXmsb.

,,Creierul ni s-a mărit, corpul ni s-a schimbat, abilitățile ni s-au cizelat și am socializat altfel. Am scăpărat și am făcut focuri, am arat pământul, am ticluit mituri, am creat zei și am stăpânit animale. Începutul culturii s-a bazat pe toate acestea, alimentat de circulația informației și de experiență. Cunoașterea nu ne-a fost dată de vreun măr - merele sunt produse ale ingeniozității noastre agricole -, ci de felul în care ne-am trăit viețile. Am început să trăim în populații care au crescut până ce neamurile au devenit comunități, iar sarcinile din rândul comunităților au revenit specialiștilor - muzicanți, artiști, meșteșugari, vânători, bucătari. Din transferul înțelepciunii acestor experți - prin interconectarea minților - s-a născut modernitatea. Unici în regnul animal, oamenii asimilează cultură și o transmit altor oameni. Transmitem informații nu doar via ADN către descendenți, ci în toate direcțiile, inclusiv oamenilor cu care nu avem legături biologice apropiate. Așa am devenit ceea ce suntem: prin învățarea altora, prin modelarea culturii și prin povestit.''

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

To say we have dominated the globe would be an understatement. We have conquered the highest mountains, reached deep into the oceans, become one of the few mammals that can fly and even been in the unique position of having had a select number of people leave the planet when they ventured into space. We tend to think of ourselves as exceptional, but are we? When you look at it from a bigger perspective, we are a single twig on a four-billion-year-old family tree that has countless species and lots of dead ends. All of these from a single origin with a code that is the very heart of our existence; DNA.

Rutherford considers all the things that make us distinctive such as speech and communication, tool creation, art, fire, social skills and how sex has gone beyond just being for procreation. But if you look hard enough at the other species that we share this world with you can find traces of these habits where they exist. There are examples of tool usage in other primates, birds and even dolphins. He explains how raptor in Australia have learnt to move fire from one part of the landscape to another and where weapons have been used by all sorts of animals. He discusses how the various types of sex that it was only thought that the human race participated in also exist in other creatures and it makes for grim reading at times.

Our genes are a map and a history of our past. Looking into its mysteries can show all sort of things, like where genes that affect language are and what they do, just how much of us is Neanderthal and how many bits of our DNA we have acquired from elsewhere. We have come to dominate the rest of the world though, even though our roots are common. Even though he is rooting through the history of our cells, this books is just what a pop science should be; accessible, understandable and intriguing enough to make you want to go and discover more about certain aspects of the text. Another book that is well worth reading from Adam Rutherford.

[Cam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rutherford writes well. However, the Book of Humans was often lacking in deeper explanations and sometimes frustrating when the author tries to avoid anything taboo.

For instance, when discussing the causes of our motives and whether they may be for survival or reproduction he didn't explain the invaluable distinction between ultimate and proximate causes.

Although it's very readable, I wouldn't recommend it unless you only wanted to dip your toes into evolution and animal behaviour.

[Tanja Berg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book on what makes human unique and how we have become so successful. Nothing much new here, but very easy to read if the territory is unfamiliar.

[Canuck Mom of Three · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was probably a mistake to read this book right after finishing Yuval Noah Harari's exceptional Sapiens. The contrast between these two books could not be more stark. They both deal with similar subject matter, but where Harari is incredibly logical and coherent in the exposition of his ideas, Rutherford's book seems like a disorganized mish-mash of recycled bits from his various other writings. Reading this book feels like sitting next to a drunk intellectual in a bar. While his individual anecdotes may be interesting in and of themselves, there seems to be no clear overarching argument that is being woven into his narrative. After a few chapters, I am wondering why I should keep reading this book.

[Mircea Petcu · Rating 5 out of 5]

O carte despre co-evolutia geno-culturala: "biologia faciliteaza cultura, cultura modifica biologia".

Agricultura nu este practicata exclusiv de catre oameni. Furnicile taietoare de frunze, dupa cum le spune numele, taie si duc frunzele in subteran unde NU le consuma. In schimb cresc pe frunzele aflate in descompunere ciuperci bogate in glucide si lipide.Mai mult, folosesc si pesticide, bacterii ce produc substante cu care omoara speciile de ciuperci nedoride.

Omul a dus agricultura la un nou nivel. Sa ne gandim putin ce a presupus inventarea agriculturii de catre oameni. E nevoie de planificare si anticipare avansate, de inventarea unor noi unelte.Pe scurt, de un creier si o minte foarte dezvoltate.Biologia faciliteaza cultura.
Cu timpul o mutatie aleatorie in genomul crescatorilor de animale a dat posibilitatea descompunerii lactozei dupa varsta intarcarii. Acum oamenii aveau la dispozitie o noua sursa bogata in nutrimente. Gena s-a raspandit in toata Europa. Cultura modifica biologia.

[Priyanka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Abandoning this half way. Too many facts. No story telling. No anecdotes. No personal observations. No humour.
This is a textbook.

[Zainab Alqassab · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really confusing. The ideas were presented in disorganized and incoherent way. Hence I reached the last page without actually knowing “The Story of How We Became Us” or the heck is going on.

Title does not indicate the content of the book. It gives different vibes and expectations. Some of the topics and titles covered in this book kept reminding me of “Sapiens” with no ground to compare between both of them. One major difference is that the latter got more depth in it than this one( this just 200 pages), which just felt like teasing you with some interesting stuff but without details for satisfaction. However, some parts were enjoyable.

Some interesting ideas he mentioned or kept repeating in this book:
1. Could familiar behaviors/traits in us (homo sapiens) and other animals be interpreted the same? As all goes into different evolutionary pathways?.
2. If the main purpose of sex is procreation, wouldn’t we expect genes related to homosexuality to vanish from the gene pool ? So, why they’re still there?.


Maybe there is more, didn’t take notes so yeah.

[Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read. There is a lot of science in this book but it is explained in a easy format for a general audience. What the books asks is What Makes Humans different than Animals?
If it is not culture then what?. The book goes on to explain than what we consider traits of human culture has also been found in different species in different times. Many animals have all the physical equipment to communicate but they dont ...then what makes humans communicate?. The conclusion of this book is that the main difference between humans and animals is not the lack of culture but the ability to instill that culture to our offspring.

[Yousif Al Zeera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no concrete scientific background other than casual readings into science. This book didn't disappoint my 'scientific ignorance'. An enjoyable pop science book right from the beginning. Lots of interesting examples from the animal kingdom on various topics. Definitely convinced me to have a look at his other books (and his shows!) I had yet to check out his show at the BBC but from his writings (and his narration being the narrator of the book as well), I can feel how great would be his shows.

[Emanuela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Di Rutherford avavo già letto Breve storia di chiunque sia mai vissuto: Il racconto dei nostri geni.
Questo, sempre mantenendo la caratteristica di un testo divulgativo ma abbastanza specifico e dettagliato nelle giustificazioni scientifiche, tenta, per quanto è possibile in base alle conoscenze attuali, di comparare e definire le facoltà umane da quelle degli animali. Comparazione che avviene, sia con la fauna attuale (mammiferi, pesci, uccelli, insetti, ecc.), sia con quella antichissima dei nostri progenitori analizzando, quando è possibile, il loro genoma.
Il gioco incrociato risulta molto complesso, ma l'autore prende in considerazione alcuni geni determinanti il nostro sviluppo per illustrare la metodologia di ricerca, risalendo alla loro presenza o alla loro modificazione nelle diverse ere, nei diversi ceppi evolutivi.

Una lezione di biologia, di fisiologia, di antropologia strettamente intercorrelate, raccontate con precisione e ironia.

[Bianca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the cover of this book very cool and the content quite similar to the book Sapiens, but unfortunately quite inferior to it and as a consequence it felt, to me, as just more of the same. I'd prefer to reread Sapiens instead.

[Illiterate · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ultimately Rutherford tells us we are special. The usual anthropocentric hubris.

[Tobi ﾄﾋﾞ · Rating 2 out of 5]

discovered that i literally couldn’t care less about human biological evolution or history

[Cronache di una Lettrice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Avevo aspettative diverse, lo ammetto.
Ho iniziato a leggere questo libro nella speranza di trovare una sorta di "Da animali a dei".

Invece il libro parla dell'umanità dal punto di vista genetico, comparandola agli animali.

Volevo un libro che mi raccontasse la storia dell'umanità dal punto di vista storico, in ordine cronologico. Non è ciò che fa questo libro.

Nulla, non è riuscito per nulla ad interessarmi.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything Adam Rutherford writes. This was no exception. So informative but really engaging, would definitely recommend!

[Todd Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Human beings share a common ancestor with all of the other living species that can be found on the Earth. We therefore have much in common with other creatures. Yet, there’s also something that sets us apart. Perhaps the most obvious is that humans are far and away the most narcissistic of nature’s creations, thus we want to read books about the traits we have in common with other animals and things that make us unique.

Humanimal: How Homo sapiens Became Nature’s Most Paradoxical Creature—A New Evolutionary History by British geneticist, author, and broadcaster Adam Rutherford is one such book and it covers pretty much what you’d expect: tool use, brain size, fire, agriculture, language, and violence. What he finds is also pretty much what you’d expect: other animals use tools but humans use them more, other animals communicate but humans communicate more, other animals are violent but humans are more so, etc.

I would say that the only thing about the book that was perhaps unexpected, was the depth, breadth and abiding fascination Rutherford exhibits regarding animal sexual behavior (a topic which constitutes about a quarter of the entire book). We’re not talking about just the birds and the bees here … there are the bears, giraffes, elephants, apes, fish, lizards, hyenas and spiders. Now, I’m not saying the topic is unimportant. Life wouldn’t exist if species didn’t procreate. I am, however, questioning the extent of the treatment in a book dedicated to the similarities and differences of Homo sapiens from other species. I’m guessing the publisher told Rutherford that ‘sex sells’ and, nerd that he is, Rutherford figured that advice applied equally to bonking bed bugs. Anyway, in case you were wondering what the upshot is … animals masturbate but humans masturbate more.

As for the “New Evolutionary History” advertised in the book’s subtitle, this consists of information regarding more recently discovered hominins such as H. naledi and Denisovans and their taxonomic relationship to modern humans (perhaps surprisingly, Rutherford neglects the specificities of the sex lives of these species, but I suspect this is only due to the fact that the fossil record is incomplete).

Otherwise, I really have little to say about the book. It was fine, but didn’t really stand out in any way. Though it did strike me that Rutherford has an unhealthy fixation with the sex lives of species other than his own and shouldn’t rule out psychiatric counseling.

[Sesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rutherford is right, men are more virus than male

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an intriguing look at the fine lines that separate humans from animals, and yet really, there is not a lot of distinction genetically. The descriptions of DNA and genetic codes were easy enough to follow, and yet at the end I found myself not really close to understanding the brilliance of science and nature. I believe the point of the book was to inform readers that despite the marvelous advances in scientific research, DNA coding, continual theory, speculation, and scientific experimentation, we are still a long way from discovering the "missing link" that made us evolve as we did, and continue to do so. It is as if the more we know, the less we know despite our best efforts to figure out the complete truth of why we are here and how we are as we are.

I found the sections on sexual habits and evolution a little disturbing, and yet I know that was not the intention. They were matter-of-fact observations told in clear words, and they were not offensive, and yet it brings home the point that, really, acceptable behavior boils down to our thinking and mental process. It ties into specific current society as to what is considered acceptable and what is not, and it is also varied from country to country. I loved reading about the mystery of the evolution of language, and although I have studied a little of the history of cave paintings and Venus sculptures, this was a fresh look and more in-depth with knowledge that dates back to far beyond what I have learned in the past. I particularly like the fact that at the end the author states that he did his own research based on the work of other scientists and their works. It's really a compilation of pared down research done by others,. He does give credit where credit is due.

This is a fascinating look at evolution. It is not a book that most people, in general, will pick up and read; it is not a light, easy, get-lost-in-the-story kind of book, and I am uncertain as to a true audience that will appreciate it. I did appreciate in the end, although I also found some of the science throughout a bit over my head. I am glad for a chance to read and review it. It is not a genre or a book I would generally pick up and read from cover-to-cover, but I did in this instance and I am glad that I did.

[Udit Nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am Udit
I am Homo sapien
I am a great ape
I am simian
I am a primate
I am a mammal
I have a backbone
I am an animal
Yet I am one amongst the paragon of animals.

This book is incredibly insightful and impressive. The author tries to find answer to one of the most complex question we as humans try to understand. The question is we are so similar to our cousins and other animals yet we are so special. I mean as Darwin said with all the exalted powers,man still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin. We are capable of beautiful dreams and horrible nightmares. This book drives away this very important point that our culture is very much part of our biological evolution and we should not try to separate them. One of the aspect where we stand alone from other species significantly is in the cultural accumulation and transmission. I mean many animals learn but only humans can teach. We should revel in the complexity of our species and celebrate the fact that we alone are capable of understanding it.
The author admits that the complexity of this puzzle that how we reached where we are will continue to increase and i guess that's what makes it more challenging.

[Tiago F · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts off decently, by exploring tool use, communication, and some other key aspects of what makes human. Generally, the author emphasizes that almost none of them are exclusive to humans, but are present in other animals. His point is that we differ in degree and not in kind.

After that, the book was sex. This was incredibly long, and almost a third of the book. Not that reproduction isn't important for what makes us human, but this was way too long. And worse than long, often not that relevant. Pretty sure this section was more to grab attention than anything else. This ruined the book for me. I gave up after this point. I tried to come back to it later, but I just couldn't stand it at that point.

I was also annoyed at the author's ignorance of evolutionary psychology. He bashed it a few times in a book, with incredibly basic and fallacious arguments that would be explained in the first 20 pages of any textbook. If you're going to attack a whole field, at least read a bit of it.

It does have good things, and some aspects were interesting. But honestly, it presents the worse of the pop-science genre. Pick literally any other book on the topic and you will be much better off.

[Sarah Clement · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, for me, was the no nonsense, non pretentious, and lucid version of the book Sapiens. Adam Rutherford is a very good writer and he manages to condense a lot of information into bite-sized pieces. He manages to make this book digestible but also nuanced, which is tough when you are trying to cover this much breadth. The reason I compare it to Sapiens is because that book had so much hype but really all it does is to try to tie together many of the topics in this book into a “grand theory of everything” in the style of Niall Ferguson and Jared Diamond, and it’s pretty easy to see past the pretence. What I like about this book is that Rutherford doesn’t try to tie all this together with a fake theory of everything to make his work seem more important or to make his book seem more clever. He just tells you interesting things on a wide range of topics. Most of the information wasn’t new to me, as an avid reader of popular science, but this is most definitely a book I would put out on a coffee table and also gift to people to read. It’s a fun and interesting book, and a great example of the genre. Well worth the time to read, and a good one if you just want to dip in and out, too.

[Dominique · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this book as much seeks to bring arrogance about human exceptionalism down a peg or two, as it seeks to reinforce how wildly amazing homo sapiens scientifically, genuinely are from every other creature in existence on the planet. Of course, this answers no questions, but rather adorns and illuminates long-held speculations over what exactly, if anything, makes humans more special than any other mammal.

The tone and style of Adam Rutherford's books are also just so readable; being a presenter, I don't know if there's something maybe in the fact that it's his everyday job to translate the high academia of genetics to laypeople, but he's so, so good at it. This is a short book, but once I started reading I couldn't put it down (even though I found that I actually knew quite a lot of the stuff anyway! I have pretty much listened to every single Radio show he's made and, er, I think a slight weird crush tbh??)

[Shabbeer Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well-written book on an oft-pondered upon issue - What makes us human? Is it our culture, ability to transmit and write stories or ability to develop tools?

Rutherford makes a passionate case for us humans not being so different from the animals at all. We traditionally have been guilty of thinking us to be the pinnacle of an evolutionary ladder (nothing like that exists btw) and of late, anthropomorphising animals to such an extent that we start projecting human conditions/behaviour in them. Rutherford warns us about both, all the while reminding us that, we are in our own way unique, just like how thermophilic bacteria can survive in extreme environmental conditions or how meerkats live in social groups protecting each other. In the same manner, we are just humanimals, extraordinary, unique and fascinatingly quite similar in the same way as every other species is.

My Rating - 4/5

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Any 200 page book that seeks to describe human evolution and behavior is certainly going to be superficial at best, but Rutherford really leans into the 'pop' side of pop science. An overview that is pretty easy to read, but only aimed at readers who have a limited interest in the subject. Many aspects are so out-of-date that I was surprised to see that this was published in 2018. I would have guessed 2008.... The author also seems to have a particular interest in sexual behavior, but ends almost all his anecdotes with hand-waving that we can't really extrapolate between species. It seems like he only includes these stories to add prurient interest, as they don't contribute to his thesis in any way. There are plenty of other books on this topic that are both entertaining and informative. This one might appeal because of its brevity, but I'd recommend giving it a miss.

[Gem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well this was an interesting find. If not a little odd. I picked it up while wandering through a book shop on my lunch break. I’m fond of non fiction- not only because I find it breaks up my reading (especially if I’m in a rut) but I love learning more about our world. I started this book with the greatest of intentions but found it went off in all sorts of tangents and that primarily it wasn’t necessarily what I was after. Very informative and if you’re interested in finding out more about the animals around us and how we are different this ones for you

[Christian Oltra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simplistic interpretations, incoherent presentation of chapters. I could not finnis it.

[Leah Ovidia Langeland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this may be a very good book, I am just not smart enough to understand it🤪