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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived summary
Adam Rutherford
The Human Story Retold Through Our Genes
22 mins
Brief summary
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived by Adam Rutherford is a fascinating exploration of human genetics and ancestry. It delves into the genetic makeup of people from all over the world and uncovers surprising truths about our shared history and evolution.
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A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived
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Key idea 1 of 8
Genetic analysis opens a window into the past.
When you open a history book, everything seems to be set in stone. But in reality, much of human history is foggy. And the longer you travel back in time, the hazier our knowledge becomes. While historians are pretty confident about what happened in ancient Greece, as you delve back further, it becomes difficult to put your finger on the truth.
The good news is that genetic analysis has enabled science to look deeper into the past, truly uncovering the ancient history of humanity. This technology rests on the discoveries of nineteenth- and twentieth-century scientists like Gregor Mendel, Francis Crick and James Watson, who slowly unraveled the mysteries of DNA and the human genome.
Thanks to their work, scientists at the Human Genome Project finally deciphered a full set of human DNA in 2000, following a Herculean effort. Now medical science can analyze the genes of living humans. But it can also extract DNA from archeological samples to study the genes of our ancient ancestors. This new field is called paleogenetics and it uses DNA to tell an exciting story.
Modern humans are known as Homo sapiens or “wise man.” But before we evolved, other Homo species existed, like Homo neanderthalensis, Homo habilis, Homo ergaster, Homo heidelbergensis and Homo erectus.
Homo erectus was one of the early upright apes. The species evolved into existence some 1.9 million years ago on the African continent before spreading across the globe. Homo sapiens, our own species, likely evolved in Africa as well, specifically in the eastern part of the continent, around 200,000 years ago. As the first Homo sapiens left Africa and entered Eurasia, they encountered another species of human, Homo neanderthalensis, more commonly known as Neanderthals.
As it turned out, the encounter was a happy one. Our two species had sex – actually, a lot of sex.
In fact, through genetic analysis, we now know that the average European shares around 2.7 percent of her genetics with Neanderthals. So, while they may be a separate species that eventually died out, they never truly went extinct. A more accurate description is that they merged with our species.
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What is A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived about?
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived (2016) tells the story of humanity through genetics. These blinks explain how humans evolved, the role that genes played – and continue to play – in our development, and the ways in which our genetic past can shine a light on the present.
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived Review
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived (2016) offers a captivating exploration of human history and how our genes connect us all. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Backed by scientific research, it sheds light on our shared ancestry and the remarkable stories hidden within our DNA.
- Adam Rutherford presents the complex topics in a lucid and accessible manner, ensuring readers grasp the key ideas without getting lost in jargon.
- With its fascinating anecdotes and surprising revelations, this book illuminates the interconnectedness of humanity in an engaging and thought-provoking way.
Best quote from A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived
As far as genetics is concerned, race does not exist.
—Adam Rutherford
Who should read A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived?
- Historians, archaeologists, geneticists and biologists
- Anyone interested in the history and biology of human life
- Students fascinated by evolution, genes and DNA
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A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived FAQs
What is the main message of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived?
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived explores the profound impact of our genetics and shows that we are all connected by our DNA.
How long does it take to read A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived?
The estimated reading time for A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived is several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived a good book? Is it worth reading?
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived is worth reading for its fascinating insights into our shared genetic history.
Who is the author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived?
The author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived is Adam Rutherford.
What to read after A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived?
If you're wondering what to read next after A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Social Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
- Who We Are and How We Got Here by David Reich
- The Book of Humans by Adam Rutherford
- Genome by Matt Ridley
- Transcendence by Gaia Vince
- Inheritance by Sharon Moalem
- The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma
- The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
- A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
- A History of God by Karen Armstrong