The World Until Yesterday

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The bestselling author of Collapse and Guns, Germs and Steel explores the history of human societies to uncover lessons from traditional societies that could improve our world. While modern conveniences like air travel and telecommunications are taken for granted, human society existed for nearly six million years without them. The gap between us and our primitive ancestors may seem vast, yet traditional societies, such as the New Guinea Highlanders, offer insights into our former lifestyles. These societies highlight that, in evolutionary terms, our modern lives are a recent development, and many of our bodies and social practices may be better suited to traditional conditions. This book provides a captivating glimpse into the human past, which has largely disappeared, and reflects on the implications of these differences for contemporary life. Drawing from decades of fieldwork in the Pacific islands and evidence from Inuit, Amazonian Indians, and Kalahari San people, the author presents a personal narrative. While not idealizing traditional societies—acknowledging some shocking practices—he emphasizes their valuable approaches to universal issues like child-rearing, elder care, dispute resolution, and physical fitness. Provocative and enlightening, this work is a compelling read.