Calumet Editions

A Sapien’s Conundrum

Surviving Our Survival Instincts

Author:

Pollution, famine, pandemics, extreme weather, social unrest, and inequality stem from humanity’s collective choices. Drawing on research on the Anthropocene, David Walter explains how our drive to survive—paired with our unique capacities—made us a threat to our own future. Blending science and cultural history, he traces Homo sapiens from tribal origins and stone tools to the atomic age and internal combustion, then offers a rational path toward a sustainable future—and the role each of us can play.

Thorough, well-written, and a bit scary.

—Wanda Isle on Amazon

Description

Pollution, famine, pandemic diseases, record-setting weather events, social unrest and cultural inequalities—all are the result of the collective choices humans make. Our drive to survive, combined with our unique abilities, has turned us into the greatest threat to our future. Drawing from seminal research about the rise of the Anthropocene age, David Walter presents a clear, elegant view of how we got ourselves into this conundrum. Grounded in a deep understanding of science and cultural history, Walter masterfully tells the story of how Homo sapiens moved from one challenge to the next with the best of intentions while not comprehending the consequences. Encompassing our tribal origins to our current atomic age, from the impulse to shape stones for tools to the development of internal combustion, this sweeping narrative ultimately offers a rational route toward a sustainable, livable future, and the role each of us can play in that transformation.

Product Details

PublishedFebruary 9, 2023
ImprintWisdom Editions
LanguageEnglish
Print length158
ISBN-13978-1960250742
Dimensions6 x 0.4 x 9 inches

Dave Walter writes, “This examination is important. If we can understand how humans have come to the spot we are in now, we can use that knowledge to reverse the negative trends and adjust our position to be healthier.” This book challenges us to change our view of the world and respect laws of nature. Each one of us can make a difference.

—Jean Marie, verified review on Amazon

What do we do when our survival instincts no longer serve us? This is one of the questions being explored in this book. Thorough, well-written, and a bit scary. The author not only investigates the problems we are facing, but he also investigates solutions. This is a book that everyone should read.

—Wanda Isle, verified review on Amazon

David Walter sets himself what seems an impossible narrative task: To understand why we’re in this global, environmental crisis, and to offer a clear response toward sensible solutions. Drawing from an exhaustive, thorough, and exemplary stack of sources, Walter reveals how he faced the conundrum facing all homo sapiens. The work is part manifesto, part natural history, and part anthropological thesis, braided together into an immensely readable narrative.

—Susan Thurston Hamerski, author of Sister of Grendel