The Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment | 
 enlarge | Authors: Paul R. Ehrlich, Anne H. Ehrlich
Publisher: Island Press
Category: Book
List Price: $35.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 13548
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 440
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 6.7 x 1.4
ISBN: 1597260967
Dewey Decimal Number: 304.2
EAN: 9781597260961
ASIN: 1597260967
Publication Date: June 30, 2008
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Product Description
In humanity’s more than 100,000 year history, we have evolved from vulnerable creatures clawing sustenance from Earth to a sophisticated global society manipulating every inch of it. In short, we have become the dominant animal. Why, then, are we creating a world that threatens our own species? What can we do to change the current trajectory toward more climate change, increased famine, and epidemic disease? Renowned Stanford scientists Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich believe that intelligently addressing those questions depends on a clear understanding of how we evolved and how and why we’re changing the planet in ways that darken our descendants’ future. The Dominant Animal arms readers with that knowledge, tracing the interplay between environmental change and genetic and cultural evolution since the dawn of humanity. In lucid and engaging prose, they describe how Homo sapiens adapted to their surroundings, eventually developing the vibrant cultures, vast scientific knowledge, and technological wizardry we know today. But the Ehrlichs also explore the flip side of this triumphant story of innovation and conquest. As we clear forests to raise crops and build cities, lace the continents with highways, and create chemicals never before seen in nature, we may be undermining our own supremacy. The threats of environmental damage are clear from the daily headlines, but the outcome is far from destined. Humanity can again adapt—if we learn from our evolutionary past. Those lessons are crystallized in The Dominant Animal. Tackling the fundamental challenge of the human predicament, Paul and Anne Ehrlich offer a vivid and unique exploration of our origins, our evolution, and our future.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Mass Culling of the People Is Fine... Until It's Your Turn??? August 21, 2008
7 out of 15 found this review helpful
The Green Movement is being herded like cattle and sheep. Guided blindly and controlled by a new, new "TERROR". As science has become a new religion with new priests wearing coats of white.
"So long as the rulers are comfortable, what reason have they to improve the lot of their serfs?"- [3rd Earl] Lord Bertrand Russell, 1952 (p61) "The Impact of Science on Society" on how 'the scientific technique' is used on the world's populations then, now and in the future.
This book is a must read in only that people must know who the author is and what his views are Dr. Erhlich's quotes from his mentor, Charles Darwin in his books. A progenator of eugenics thought through Darwinism and Malthusian beliefs. He also quotes indirectly, Charles Galton Darwin, (The Next Million Years). The grandson of Charles Darwin and close relative of Francis Galton, an admitted racist and eugenicist. Close friends of the Famous Huxley Family including Julian Huxley, a evolutionist and humanist himself and the first Director-General of UNESCO and writer of "The Crowded World" calling for a "World Population Policy".
In the beginning of Dr. Erhlich's interview on NPR, The Diane Rehm Show 7-24-08.
He proudly professes that he was sorrowly wrong and disgruntled in predicting that more poor, hungry and sick people had not died from the Mid-1970's until now. Whilst being wrong he happily admits that HIV/AIDS and other resistant disease were however discovered. He praises his belief in a World Wide Communistic China solution to all our problems. This man is an American, Right?.
His foundation backed opinions are very frightening! His theories and suggestion follow the mainstream thought of global warming as being caused by man but never mentioning that amongst the main causes. Which I believe are cyclical and effected by the greediness of the world's richest individuals and sometimes purposefully as the weather can be controlled effectively and efficiently in today's world by many nation's but its this looming concocted notion and concept that the blame and cause is the ordinary person.
These ordinary persons would have been more than willing to use alternative methods of energy production long ago. Which have been around for many decades but oil is their favorite flavor. It's revenues generate bloodshed, war, power and ultimate control and possibly in the end the destiny of mankind itself. The overtone this book and his previous book "The Population Bomb" will give a glimpse into the mind of those whom say they would rather save a tree or cat than a human soul.
Educated Mankind has become too many, too fast, too soon for the wealthy's comfort. Larger numbers of ordinary individuals are becoming more aware that our predicament is anything but happenstance and natural. A chain of events beyond our control. Which when very carefully researched provides evidence to the contrary. That is that we have been, for quite a while, a long while, very insidiously and intentionally guided towards this idea of accepting population reduction.
The rich and wealthy of the world have the largest families but you will be told to believe differently. It's the poor! You know those who can barely afford food and shelter than arriving to the point of owning a car and filling it with petroleum. The Elitist plan is to rid themselves of those nolonger needed. A working population that has out lived their purpose and usefulness.
Remember, we are now post-industrial. A service economy. Production in this nation alone was willing sent to China. There is but one place to go and that is tyranny to control a wiser much knowledgeable nation and world.
Read, but read objectively with an opened mind and be aware. Be very aware of his kind and their plans for YOU. Then ask yourself who funded this book and dvd project.
*** I highly suggest reading "Foundations: Their Power and Influence" and going to the UN's website to read and download "AGENDA 21" as the UN controls World Policy but its members are not elected by any citizens or the people of the Nation States Members and never will be.
When will this guy give up and call it a day? July 28, 2008
9 out of 27 found this review helpful
For this I reference the many predictions made by Mr. Ehrlich over the years which have, well, let's face it, not come to pass.
Mr. Ehrlich, your crystal ball is broken. Maybe you should just stick to the butterflies.
 Who better than Anne and Paul Ehrlich to make this point? July 19, 2008
3 out of 11 found this review helpful
The Dominant Animal is very succinct and puts
into perspective what everybody should know about Homo sapiens and "our" omnipresent, modifying
effects on the whole biosphere and every living thing in it!
Who better than Paul and Anne Ehrlich could make that point, and write it in a meaningful, non-condescending way which readers can grasp, understand, and maybe even think and act accordingly?
Human Evolution & the Environment July 9, 2008
4 out of 12 found this review helpful
I was fortunate to get a copy of the Ehrlich's new book while teaching a summer course on global climate change in the United States. My job would have been much easier if the students had all had an opportunity to read "The Dominant Animal" when they entered college. It is the best summary I have ever seen of how the world works - what every Australian (and citizen of any country) should know about why human beings came to dominate the planet, and the threat that dominance now poses to our environment. The discussions of genetic and cultural evolution, processes basic to how we took over the world, are clear and compelling, and the summary of the environmental predicament completely up to date and the best I have ever seen. It's a fine read, even if it won't leave you cheered up - but at the end the Ehrlichs do show us how we might escape
The most important book I've read this year July 6, 2008
13 out of 21 found this review helpful
Paul and Anne Ehrlich's THE DOMINANT ANIMAL is not only the most sensible and up-to-date book I've read about sustainability; it's also well organized and well written, a true delight to read. As the bad news increasingly piles up -- mass extinctions on land and in the oceans, decreased availability of cheap energy, increased unemployment, floods and droughts leading to crop failures, polar ice caps melting, and famines, to mention only a few -- it becomes crucial that we quickly make informed and sensible choices. THE DOMINANT ANIMAL provides well researched and balanced pros and cons about the most important issues facing us today. I can only agree with the solutions the authors favor, from the unbridled consumption issue (my current line of work) to their analysis of nuclear energy, pp. 306-308 (pertinent to my past life as a physicist). Though the news are grim, I have great hope that if books such as this are widely read we'll be able save ourselves and our grandchildren from a very harsh future that is already encroaching on us.
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