Amongst life on earth, humans are undeniably exceptional. We write symphonies and plays, paint and sculpt. We create vehicles that can transport us underground, under water, in air, or even into space. We have multiple complex, symbolic languages that allow us to communicate abstract thoughts and emotions. And we have created tools that could lead to the utter destruction of ourselves and possibly all life on Earth, or at least a significant portion of it.
In this book, Agustín Fuentes asks: What truly makes humans unique? Is it our capacity for exploitation? Or cooperation? Our biological history, or perhaps our ability to use our intelligence to overcome biological limitations? Fuentes argues that these descriptions are all incomplete; instead, it is our creativity that sets us apart from other animals. The book is formally split into four sections that seem to divide neatly into two halves, first focusing on prehistorical human...
University of California Press