Free US delivery on orders $35 or over
Free US delivery on orders $35 or over
You must sign in to add this item to your wishlist. Please sign in or create an account
Forged by natural selection and honed by evolution, humans are perfectly adapted machines. . . for a world that no longer exists.
In Unfit for Purpose, biologist and broadcaster Professor Adam Hart explores the mismatch between our fundamental biology and the modern world we have created. In each chapter, Adam explores how many biological adaptations that evolved to help us survive and thrive in a very different world are now working against us. For example, humans are superbly adapted famine survivors. Obesity might be a disease in the modern world, but it's really just a troublesome side-effect of some effective evolutionary brilliance. And in today's society, one of the biggest killers is stress. What started out as a life-saving "fight or flight" response in the face of bear attack might now cause headaches, loss of sex drive, depression and heart problems as we panic about missing deadlines or making sense of our work-life balance. And deep evolutionary relationships with microbes built up through an outdoor life have rapidly derailed leading to all kinds of gut and other auto-immune problems.
Throughout the book, Adam meets the scientists unraveling early human and primate evolution, the archaeologists exploring the very early stages of human society, and the clinicians and sociologists studying "modern day" diseases and conditions. In a world of our making, we find ourselves unfit for purpose. But all is not lost--by unpicking the evolutionary causes underpinning many of our current woes, Adam finds and tests an array of evolutionarily-informed treatments, from the straightforward to the downright weird.
Published | Aug 11 2020 |
---|---|
Format | Hardback |
Edition | 1st |
Extent | 352 |
ISBN | 9781472970992 |
Imprint | Bloomsbury Sigma |
Dimensions | 9 x 5 inches |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
This book is a gripping and sobering reminder of how much we are all governed by our genetic inheritance. So much for free will.
The Mail on Sunday, 5 stars
Adam Hart's thought-provoking, if pessimistic, book asks: how do our primate origins relate to existence in today's technological jungle? The stress response that once saved us from predators is now killing us, as we pack into our lives microstressors ranging from unsuitable foods to social media - becoming worriers rather than warriors.
Nature
Like countless others I've found the stresses of modern life a little overwhelming at times. Unfit For Purpose lifts the lid on the myriad of evolutionary and environmental wrong turns that now conspire to undermine our mental and physical health. A must read for those who want to understand where we're going wrong and whether we can ever hope to put things right again.
Matthew Wright, broadcaster
Yes, this is a forensic dissection of the mismatch between our ancient biology and the modern world; yes, it's jam-packed with scientific insights; but above all, thanks to Adam's refreshingly fluent prose, it's a really great read!
Rick Edwards, broadcaster and host of Science-ish
Adam offers a splendidly novel perspective on what it is to live a modern-day life in a stone-age body. A tour-de-force of cutting-edge evolutionary science, which debunks, debates and delights in equal measure.
Jules Howard, naturalist, science writer and author of Death on Earth
Excellent news! Thanks to Adam Hart, I can now blame my penchant for Prosecco on a genome that has failed to keep pace with the modern world! From the rise of obesity to the rise of fake news, Unfit for Purpose explores the relationship between our evolutionary heritage and the rise of modern living. Written with wit and clarity, this timely and thought-provoking book is one of the best I have read in ages.
Helen Pilcher, science writer and author of Life Changing
This book is available on Bloomsbury Collections where your library has access.
Your School account is not valid for the United States site. You have been logged out of your account.
You are on the United States site. Would you like to go to the United States site?
Error message.