The Story of the Human Body cover art

The Story of the Human Body

Evolution, Health, and Disease

 Preview
Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Story of the Human Body

By: Daniel E. Lieberman
Narrated by: Sean Runnette
Try Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

 In this landmark book of popular science, Daniel E. Lieberman—chair of the department of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University and a leader in the field—gives us a lucid and engaging account of how the human body evolved over millions of years, even as it shows how the increasing disparity between the jumble of adaptations in our Stone Age bodies and advancements in the modern world is occasioning this paradox: greater longevity but increased chronic disease.

The Story of the Human Body brilliantly illuminates as never before the major transformations that contributed key adaptations to the body: the rise of bipedalism; the shift to a non-fruit-based diet; the advent of hunting and gathering, leading to our superlative endurance athleticism; the development of a very large brain; and the incipience of cultural proficiencies. Lieberman also elucidates how cultural evolution differs from biological evolution, and how our bodies were further transformed during the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions.

While these ongoing changes have brought about many benefits, they have also created conditions to which our bodies are not entirely adapted, Lieberman argues, resulting in the growing incidence of obesity and new but avoidable diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. Lieberman proposes that many of these chronic illnesses persist and in some cases are intensifying because of “dysevolution,” a pernicious dynamic whereby only the symptoms rather than the causes of these maladies are treated. 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.

(With charts and line drawings throughout.) Biological Sciences Diets, Nutrition & Healthy Eating Evolution Evolution & Genetics Fitness, Diet & Nutrition Physical Illness & Disease Science Nutrition Adaptation Health Healthy Diet Infant Longevity Physical Exercise Physiology
All stars
Most relevant
The story of human evolution, the different pathways of different species and how that relates to what we are now is one story in this book and it prepares the reader for what comes next - the q.e.d, the bottom line.
You see the author connects all that with the state of our health today, disease by disease and it is simply fascinating. It follows that if most people understood why we get so many chronic diseases they would be more inclined to act to reduce disease. With healthcare costs becoming unsustainable, people must become more accountable for allowing themselves to succumb to some diseases. This book explains why and that knowledge is, for this humble reader, life changing.

This book explains a lot!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A very succinct book explaining how and why we are they way we are. As a physiotherapist I would recommend it for anyone interested in their health and wellbeing plus other health professionals

Fascinating

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book was enlightning and informative. I highly recommend it as I found it life-changing.

Enlightening and informative. Highly recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Simply put this book makes you think about your everyday life and the modern surroundings we have found ourselves in. Very interesting and full of facts and observations about humans that will keep you entertained.

Answering questions you have never asked!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The information is presented as a continuation of lectures following the series on evolution that ends at 7000 years ago when evolutionary shaping is overtaken by cultural shaping.

I found the pace slow and at times monotonous but the message and information fascinating.
I doubt that there's a student or practitioner in the health industry who wouldn't benefit from the arguments of this book, since part of our mandate is to educate clients suffering from "Mismatched Diseases".

I will take the time to listen again and I believe many will find it worth the effort to pay attention to this powerful message.

very detailed explanation of De-evolution

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.