About the book

The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Society was written in 2013 by Daniel E. Lieberman.  The book cover explains that in this landmark book of popular science, Daniel E. Lieberman gives us a lucid and engaging account of how the human body evolved over millions of years.  He illuminates the major transformations that contributed to key adaptations of the body: the rise of bipedalism; the shift to a non-fruit-based diet; the advent of hunting and gathering; and how cultural changes like the Agricultural and Industrial revolutions have impacted us physically.  He shows how the increasing disparity between the jumble of adaptations in our Stone Age bodies and advancements in the modern world is occasioning a paradox: greater longevity but increased chronic disease.  And finally – provocatively – he advocates the use of evolutionary information to help nudge, push, and sometimes even compel us to create a more salubrious environment and pursue better lifestyles.  Buy the book here!

Author

The Story of the Human Body was written by Daniel E. Lieberman, who is a professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard.  He writes, “My main focus is on the evolution of human physical activity.   I am especially interested in how evolutionary approaches to activities such as walking and running, as well as changes to our body’s environments, such as wearing shoes and being physically inactive, can help better prevent and treat musculoskeletal diseases”.  You can find his website here.

 

About Me!

Hello!  My name is Caroline Langley, and I am a current junior at the University of Notre Dame.  I am a biological sciences major, and I am writing this book review for my Biological Anthropology class.  Outside of school, I play clarinet in the marching band, and I am a big fan of cats.  I hope you enjoy!