Civilized to Death
by Christopher Ryan · first published 2019
6mentions
2recommended by
4HN commenters
2020–2024first – last mentioned
50% recommend50% neutral
The New York Times best selling co-author of Sex at Dawn explores the ways in which 'progress' has perverted the way we live: how people eat, learn, feel, mate, parent, communicate, work, and die.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
>> people will believe whatever they want to first. Including Harari. There's more wrong in that book than there is right, aside from basic facts that people should already know. Chriatopher Ryan (Civilized to Death & Sex at Dawn) explores the few compelling points made by Sapiens in depth and without all of the disingenuity and naive philosphy present in Sapiens.
on “Stopping deepfake news with an AI algorithm that can tell when a face doesnt fit” ↗Steven Pinker's work is disingenuous and riddled with inaccuracies. I suggest reading Chris Ryan's Civilized to Death to correct the intellectual damage inflicted by Pinker.
on “R U OK?” ↗Sex at Dawn and Civilized to Death by Christopher Ryan
on “Ask HN: What are the best unknown books you have read?” ↗I've recently finished reading "Civilized to Death"[0] and I can't help feel there's some truth to some of the ideas. One idea that stuck with me is that shit zoos have concrete cages for the monkeys, and they're miserable in them, showing similar signs…
on “The hikikomori in Asia: A life within four walls” ↗It's hard to assess, especially from our position, which set of challenges the human soul prefers. But there's an interesting point to be made, touched in both "Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress"[0] as well as "The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity"[1] that no 'savage' has been interested in non-coercively joining an 'advanced' society, whereas there are plenty…
on “The hikikomori in Asia: A life within four walls” ↗In two books I've read recently (Conquistador about Hernan Cortes, and Civilized to Death which contrasts the lives of modern humans with ancient ones) the authors mention how fat was often poached from the dead -- animals and people alike. It was used like a grease for all sorts of things,…
on “Aboriginal ritual passed down over 12,000 years, cave find shows” ↗