Reflections on Prologue and Chapter 1 in Ways of the World

Notes of interest from the Prologue and Chapter 1 of Ways of the World:

“The emergence of life from the chemical soup of the early planet.”  I often contemplate how each and every soul traversing earth came to be, what we are composed of, how we develop our own characteristics, and how the world changes us from birth to death.

Three Cs:  Change, Comparison, Connection – good points to consider not only while reading history, but also while attempting to write a decent paper.

Civilizations of technologies and inequalities create strange dichotomies.

Eighteen pages in and drug use surfaces.  Even the early humans liked to alter their state of mind.

It is amazing to me that archeologists, scientists, geologists, etc. can piece together information about ancient civilizations from bones, artwork, and relics.

Here is a good word:  kinship.  I learned all about kinship in my “Way of the Earth” class earlier this year, and the World History book is called Ways of the Earth.  Now there is a heading called The Ways We Were, which prompts me to think of the Streisand/Redford movie The Way We Were – makes me want to cry just thinking about Hubbell and Katie.

This is intriguing:  The San people and their “relative equality between the sexes with no-one having the upper hand.”  People are always looking to have the upper hand in today’s world – no matter the circumstance; everything seems to be a competition.

Anther good one:  gathering and hunting people referred to as “the original affluent society.”  How our lives have gotten so complicated, when really, less is more.

So global warming is not a new process; we have just managed to exacerbate it with proliferation of pollution.

Separate cemeteries for dogs.  How cute!  Pets deserve proper burials.  After all, they are members of the family.

So the Chumash of southern California were the seedlings for La La Land!  I bet the Chumash were not nearly as phony as the current populace down there.

“Domestication – the taming, and the changing, of nature for the benefit of mankind.”  Well, we certainly did a nice number on that one because now we are in a self-induced global warming trend that will be impossible to turn around.

Amazing how people think the same things simultaneously, like the Agricultural Revolution happening “separately and independently” the world over.  Just like when people name their baby thinking it is so unique, then the kid goes to school and there are a dozen of them with the same name.  Cracks me up.

Broad-spectrum diet.  Wonder what the ancient folks would think of food ‘cooked’ in microwave ovens.  I am envisioning a Paleolithic kid eating a French fry.

The statues of Ain Ghazal look thoroughly modern.  Love those.

“The Agricultural Revolution led to an increase in human population.”  If people would stop procreating like rabbits, our planet would be in better shape than its current state.  Not only has the population increased in number, but people in general are bigger and taller than ever.  They are massive, and they always end up sitting in front of me in public venues.

Geez, people are control freaks:  “Human selection modified the genetic composition of numerous plants and animals.”  Like one doctor said to me, just enjoy whole milk – we’ve bastardized our food.  Hilarious!

I like this:  “the lineage system performed the functions of government, but without the formal apparatus of government.”  There’s a novel thought.

So the Agricultural Revolution is to blame for inequalities.  Figures.

There is the word ‘kinship’ again - I like the sound of it.