Exploring the history of humanity

A little bit of background📃

History, politics, culture, sociology and social anthropology are totally my jam, but I am yet to find a single book that gives me a broad yet comprehensive overview of the history of humankind. I am not sure such a book even exists. I picked up the two books in this review at my local library, hoping for some insights from the similar approaches to being human and how we have grown and changed as a species.

The species than changed itself: How prosperity reshaped humanity | Published November 2020 | Read February 2026

The author✏️

Edwin Gale studied English Literature at Cambridge before switching to a career in medicine. He worked in Cambridge, Nottingham, Copenhagen, and as a professor at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London. Research into the rise of diabetes stimulated his interest in our changing phenotype. He moved with his team to the University of Bristol in 1997 and retired in 2011.

The subject matterℹ️

The species that changed itself is essentially an exploration of the human phenotype. What is this? The concept is made up of genotype + environment, defining a set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism, determined by an interaction between the individual's genetic composition and environmental influences. Gale's central thesis is that other species adapt to their environments, whereas human alone create theirs. He explains this idea by exploring how humans have remade the world to suit themselves, thus reshaping the human phenotype. The book shows how humans are heavier and taller, live longer, and think and behave differently, where life experiences have transformed and in so doing have transformed our societies.

My thoughts on the book💭

The species that changed itself weaves biology, social anthropology, epidemiology and history into an examination of the changing human phenotype. Edwin Gale's background as a physician and medical researcher comes to the fore in the book and he has clearly put a lot of thought into his central arguments. The book is digestible and presented in a sort of essay-style narrative, showing how we have domesticated ourselves over time and made ourselves dependent on the systems in which we live. It is quite heavily Euro-centric and could have benefitted from a stronger evidence base.

My key learnings🪴

I found The species that changed itself illuminating with a collection of anecdotes from a perspective on social anthropology that I hadn't encountered before. The book brings together ideas on the influence of the environment on the progress of the human species. Nothing super groundbreaking, but still an interesting read.

In sum📝

Did I learn stuff from reading The species that changed itself? Sure, but I don't see the book as my go-to text for understanding social anthropology. The concept of prosperity changing the human phenotype and our general adaptations as a species is intriguing, though, and I'd like to read more on the subject.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

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Being human: How our biology shaped world history | Published June 2023 | Read February 2026

The author✏️

Professor Lewis Dartnell (born 1980) is a British astrobiologist, radio and television presenter of popular science, and Professor of Science Communication at the University of Westminster. In addition to Being human, he has published a book introducing the field of astrobiology, one on how geology has impacted human history, and one the aftermath of a cataclysm. Dartnell has an undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Oxford and a doctorate in Astrobiology from University College London. He has been a UK Space Agency (there's such a thing?) Research Fellow and has written science articles regularly for popular magazines such as New Scientist.

The subject matterℹ️

Being human champions the notion that humans are a wonder of evolution but also deeply flawed. The extraordinary contradiction between our abilities and our frailties is the essence of what it means to be human. Dartnell's book argues that history sits within the balance between the two parts of this contradiction. He uses the lens of human fragility to navigate parts of human history, exploring how human biology has shaped relationships, societies, economies and wars across the globe. Dartnell considers how, importantly, biology continues to challenge and define humanity's progress.

My thoughts on the book💭

Being human is a fascinating romp through history, showing how elements of human biology have had far reaching consequences. Dartnell writes in an accessible way given his scientific background (what even is astrobiology?) and explores the ramifications of not so much our biological quirks, but scientific reasons for Why Things Happened. Dartnell's background as a popular science writer feels like it shaped the vibe of the book but that made it infinitely readable and rather fun. I would agree with other reviews that Being human feels a bit like a pub trivia quiz with a lot of cool stuff thrown together in one book.

My key learnings🪴

So many interesting bits and pieces in this book! I do agree with other reviewers, though, that Dartnell's observations are often more about correlations than causations. He tends to ignore the myriad of other influencing factors and the interactions between them of major historical events and developments. For example, he draws links between the adoption of lemon juice rations by the Royal Navy in the 19th century to combat scurvy to the rise of the Mafia, through the demand and production of the juice in Sicily. He also draws links between failed attempts at colonisation by the Scottish due to the sailors' lack of immunity to local diseases, essentially suggesting the would-be colonisers packed up and went home because of disease. Another example is his explanation of how Queen Victoria's haemophilia genetic legacy brought down the Russian empire. Dartnell also claims that cognitive bias led to the disaster of the Charge of the Light Brigade and that the mosquito effectively shaped the union of Scotland and England. There are also a bunch of fun facts, such as the origins of gin and tonic as an anti-malaria beverage, where quinine that was grown in India and Sri Lanka was dissolved in carbonated water to mask its bitterness (hence "Indian tonic water"). Fascinating take on history, though!

In sum📝

Given my completely woeful scientific knowledge, I thoroughly enjoyed Dartnell's romp through history and seeing the butterfly effect in action. I don't think the book lives up to its subtitle - how biology shaped world history - nor the above description of the book that I took from its blurb, but it is certainly an entertaining read that added to my general knowledge. It's all a bit random, but lots of fun nevertheless.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐