The Human Past
by Christopher Scarre, Chris Scarre · first published 2005
5mentions
5recommended by
5HN commenters
2015–2026first – last mentioned
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
Broad, textbook-style overview of human prehistory and the past, suited to readers who want a rigorous survey rather than popular science; one commenter calls it a more textbook-like treatment.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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I don’t read popsci but if you’re interested in a rigorous treatment I’d recommend The Human Career by Klein which has the broad overview and The Human Past edited by Scarre which is more of a textbook. I mostly just read the papers as they are published but I’ve heard good things about those two books (they’re on my reading list but I haven’t read enough…
on “430k-year-old well-preserved wooden tools are the oldest ever found” ↗I would throw The Human Past, Mathematics from the Birth of Numbers, and US Army Survival guide into the mix. I also think there should be more of a focus on construction/architecture and agriculture/horticulture. A book containing…
on “What Books Could Be Used to Rebuild Civilization?” ↗If this kind of stuff interests you, "Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past" by David Reich is interesting and very up to date. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35749414-who-we-are-and-...
on “Indonesia’s Ancient ‘Hobbits’ May Have Evolved Quickly” ↗If you're interested in the ancient DNA, I highly recommend "Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past" by David Reich.
on “Rethinking our human origins in Africa” ↗For this interested in this topic, highly recommend the book: Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past
on “Aboriginal Australian genomes reveal Indian ancestry” ↗