Origin Story, by David Christian
It's been ages since my last post because, frankly, it took ages to read this book. David Christian is a history professor who's "Big History" methodology was the subject of a popular TED talk and is backed by none other than Bill Gates. Christian wants us to view human history as part of the larger history of the world, and of the universe. He starts literally at the beginning, with the Big Bang, and explains some pretty complex scientific and mathematical theories about how our universe, galaxy, solar system, planet, and life formed. I found all that pretty interesting, if a bit dry. When humans finally come on the scene, Christian paints a very broad stroke of human history as a whole, rather than compartmentalizing different nations or peoples.
I get what he's trying to do, and I like it. He's pointing out that all humans share so many more commonalities than differences, as indeed we do with all forms of life, and even with inanimate objects such as rocks or stars. We are all made of the same stuff. Underpinning this with science makes petty conflicts over religion or resources seem pathetic. The history of humanity and the universe is all just the story of how energy has manifested and been used in different ways by different things, both living and non-living; even capitalism can be explained this way. His conclusion is that humanity is at a tipping point, where we can either intentionally move forward towards a more equitable and environmentally-conscious society, or continue on an unsustainable path that leads to a massive reckoning (in the form of near-extinction for humanity).
It's a great message and an interesting project that I'm curious to see proceed in the future, but the relating of this big history on the page comes off as dry, despite Christian's best efforts. I could only read a few pages at a time before falling asleep... If you're looking for big history, I think you're better served by Sapiens .
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I get what he's trying to do, and I like it. He's pointing out that all humans share so many more commonalities than differences, as indeed we do with all forms of life, and even with inanimate objects such as rocks or stars. We are all made of the same stuff. Underpinning this with science makes petty conflicts over religion or resources seem pathetic. The history of humanity and the universe is all just the story of how energy has manifested and been used in different ways by different things, both living and non-living; even capitalism can be explained this way. His conclusion is that humanity is at a tipping point, where we can either intentionally move forward towards a more equitable and environmentally-conscious society, or continue on an unsustainable path that leads to a massive reckoning (in the form of near-extinction for humanity).
It's a great message and an interesting project that I'm curious to see proceed in the future, but the relating of this big history on the page comes off as dry, despite Christian's best efforts. I could only read a few pages at a time before falling asleep... If you're looking for big history, I think you're better served by Sapiens .
Shop local!
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