Civilized to Death
by Christopher Ryan
2020-07-10 15:13:45
The New York Times bestselling coauthor of Sex at Dawn explores the ways in which âprogressâ has perverted the way we liveâhow we eat, learn, feel, mate, parent, communicate, work, and dieâin this âengaging, extensively docum...
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The New York Times bestselling coauthor of Sex at Dawn explores the ways in which âprogressâ has perverted the way we liveâhow we eat, learn, feel, mate, parent, communicate, work, and dieâin this âengaging, extensively documented, well-organized, and thought-provokingâ (Booklist) book. Most of us have instinctive evidence the world is endingâbalmy December days, face-to-face conversation replaced with heads-to-screens zomboidism, a world at constant war, a political system in disarray. We hear some myths and lies so frequently that they feel like truths: Civilization is humankindâs greatest accomplishment. Progress is undeniable. Count your blessings. Youâre lucky to be alive here and now. Well, maybe we are and maybe we arenât. Civilized to Death counters the idea that progress is inherently good, arguing that the âprogressâ defining our age is analogous to an advancing disease. Prehistoric life, of course, was not without serious dangers and disadvantages. Many babies died in infancy. A broken bone, infected wound, snakebite, or difficult pregnancy could be life-threatening. But ultimately, Christopher Ryan questions, were these pre-civilized dangers more murderous than modern scourges, such as car accidents, cancers, cardiovascular disease, and a technologically prolonged dying process? Civilized to Death âwill make you see our so-called progress in a whole new lightâ (Book Riot) and adds to the timely conversation that âthe way we have been living is no longer sustainable, at least as long as we want to the earth to outlive usâ (Psychology Today). Ryan makes the claim that we should start looking backwards to find our way into a better future.
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