Taj’s Reviews > The Third Chimpanzee for Young People: On the Evolution and Future of the Human Animal > Status Update
Taj
is on page 160 of 352
A big topic discussed is the evolution of language, and how we got from grunts to Shakespeare's sonnets. The first step is calls with a specific meaning, such as the grunts of many apes. The next step is words assembled with sets of vowels and consonants. The most crucial step is that of two-year-old humans, going from single words to phrases that communicate full ideas. Finally, grammar and syntax are added.
— Dec 02, 2024 08:29AM
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Taj’s Previous Updates
Taj
is on page 202 of 352
This book is the best I've read in a while and the genre of non-fiction is growing on me. The book begins with evolution and anthropology but has moved into dilemmas like what makes human art unique? Why do humans abuse drugs even though we know it hurts us? Diamond answers all these questions are rooted in genes and animal behavior. He proposes that our drug abuse comes from our DNA, the need to prove superiority.
— Dec 09, 2024 08:29AM
Taj
is on page 70 of 352
Diamond is skillful in interjecting his thoughts between facts. He is careful not to present his views and beliefs as facts and starts with "I think" every time he shares his opinion. He proposes the idea of the "Great Leap Forward" when proto-humans suddenly gained the knowledge and intelligence to create tools. He hypothesized that the reason for this is spoken language. With language, humans can communicate.
— Nov 18, 2024 08:30AM
Taj
is on page 38 of 352
This book is really interesting in its ideas and correlations. It provides evidence that humans are the "Third Chimpanzee" Humans should be grouped in the same Genus as Chimps and Bonobos. We only split from them on the genetic family tree about 2 million years ago. Our DNA is 98.4% the same as those species
— Nov 11, 2024 08:29AM
