About the book
‘Insightful and breathtaking’ YUVAL NOAH HARARI, author of Sapiens
‘Bold and sweeping’ PETER FRANKOPAN, author of The Silk Roads
‘Profoundly thought-provoking’ KATE RAWORTH, author of Doughnut Economics
How has humans' evolutionary inheritance shaped global society?
Why are humans everywhere prone to believe in ghosts?
How might our tendency to imitate one another be contributing to the climate catastrophe?
And does our deep evolutionary past impel us to vote for strongmen?
In 1987, Harvey Whitehouse went to live with an indigenous community deep in the Papua New Guinea rainforest. His experiences there convinced him that, far from being wildly different, humans are fundamentally alike: their beliefs and behaviours rooted in a set of evolutionary urges that can be found in any society, anywhere.
Here, Whitehouse roves across twelve millennia and five continents to uncover how these evolved urges have both shaped and been reshaped by human history. Along the way, he shows that this ancient inheritance does not just hold the key to explaining the modern world – but perhaps also to changing it.
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‘Ranges widely across disciplines and timescales to formulate an exhilarating narrative of human history . . . Enthralling and mind-expanding’ IRISH TIMES
‘Profoundly important . . . Whitehouse shows how evolution sculpted our psychological make-up, how we overcame its limitations over the course of world history, and how we can wield this knowledge to face the challenges of the future’ LEWIS DARTNELL, author of Being Human
‘A very powerful, provocative and inspiring analysis of the human condition . . . Compelling and highly readable, this book shows why anthropology matters’ GILLIAN TETT, Financial Times columnist and Provost of King’s College, Cambridge
‘A thought provoking look at social forces, and the ways ordinary people can change the world’ GUARDIAN
Editions of Inheritance
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781529152227
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781529152234
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781529159158
- EBook
- ISBN 9781529152241
Read an Excerpt
‘Insightful and breathtaking’ YUVAL NOAH HARARI, author of Sapiens
‘Bold and sweeping’ PETER FRANKOPAN, author of The Silk Roads
‘Profoundly thought-provoking’ KATE RAWORTH, author of Doughnut Economics
How has humans' evolutionary inheritance shaped global society?
Why are humans everywhere prone to believe in ghosts?
How might our tendency to imitate one another be contributing to the climate catastrophe?
And does our deep evolutionary past impel us to vote for strongmen?
In 1987, Harvey Whitehouse went to live with an indigenous community deep in the Papua New Guinea rainforest. His experiences there convinced him that, far from being wildly different, humans are fundamentally alike: their beliefs and behaviours rooted in a set of evolutionary urges that can be found in any society, anywhere.
Here, Whitehouse roves across twelve millennia and five continents to uncover how these evolved urges have both shaped and been reshaped by human history. Along the way, he shows that this ancient inheritance does not just hold the key to explaining the modern world – but perhaps also to changing it.
__
‘Ranges widely across disciplines and timescales to formulate an exhilarating narrative of human history . . . Enthralling and mind-expanding’ IRISH TIMES
‘Profoundly important . . . Whitehouse shows how evolution sculpted our psychological make-up, how we overcame its limitations over the course of world history, and how we can wield this knowledge to face the challenges of the future’ LEWIS DARTNELL, author of Being Human
‘A very powerful, provocative and inspiring analysis of the human condition . . . Compelling and highly readable, this book shows why anthropology matters’ GILLIAN TETT, Financial Times columnist and Provost of King’s College, Cambridge
‘A thought provoking look at social forces, and the ways ordinary people can change the world’ GUARDIAN
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Inheritance about?
‘Insightful and breathtaking’ YUVAL NOAH HARARI, author of Sapiens
‘Bold and sweeping’ PETER FRANKOPAN, author of The Silk Roads
‘Profoundly thought-provoking’ KATE RAWORTH, author of Doughnut Economics
How has humans' evolutionary inheritance shaped global society?
Why are humans everywhere prone to believe in ghosts?
How might our tendency to imitate one another be contributing to the climate catastrophe?
And does our deep evolutionary past impel us to vote for strongmen?
In 1987, Harvey Whitehouse went to live with an indigenous community deep in the Papua New Guinea rainforest. His experiences there convinced him that, far from being wildly different, humans are fundamentally alike: their beliefs and behaviours rooted in a set of evolutionary urges that can be found in any society, anywhere.
Here, Whitehouse roves across twelve millennia and five continents to uncover how these evolved urges have both shaped and been reshaped by human history. Along the way, he shows that this ancient inheritance does not just hold the key to explaining the modern world – but perhaps also to changing it.
__
‘Ranges widely across disciplines and timescales to formulate an exhilarating narrative of human history . . . Enthralling and mind-expanding’ IRISH TIMES
‘Profoundly important . . . Whitehouse shows how evolution sculpted our psychological make-up, how we overcame its limitations over the course of world history, and how we can wield this knowledge to face the challenges of the future’ LEWIS DARTNELL, author of Being Human
‘A very powerful, provocative and inspiring analysis of the human condition . . . Compelling and highly readable, this book shows why anthropology matters’ GILLIAN TETT, Financial Times columnist and Provost of King’s College, Cambridge
‘A thought provoking look at social forces, and the ways ordinary people can change the world’ GUARDIAN
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Inheritance?
Society and Social Sciences > Sociology and anthropology > Anthropology > Social and cultural anthropology
Where can I read a sample of Inheritance?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781529152227
How long is Inheritance and how many pages does it have?
Inheritance has 464 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Inheritance?
Harvey Whitehouse
Who is the Publisher of the book Inheritance?
Cornerstone
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Inheritance is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781529152227) and paperback(ISBN 9781529152234) and paperback(ISBN 9781529159158) and ebook(ISBN 9781529152241)
Where can I buy Inheritance online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Inheritance from below
Where can I buy Inheritance?