Against the Grain

Exploring the evolution of humanity, Manning presents a revisionist perspective that highlights the significance of our increased brain size and the subsequent need for nourishment. For 290,000 years, humans thrived as hunter-gatherers, a period he argues was our peak in intelligence and vitality. However, the allure of a stable food supply led to the agricultural revolution, marking a pivotal shift in human history that has shaped our civilization over the last 10,000 years.