62 pages • 2 hours read
Daniel LiebermanThe Story of the Human Body
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2013A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Who is the intended audience for The Story of the Human Body? What techniques does Lieberman include to better accommodate the intended audience?
Analyze Lieberman’s discussion of early hominin species in Part 1. Why does he include these species in his text? How do these species help people better understand modern human biology and needs?
Early hominins can only be indirectly studied through limited fossil records and through comparisons to living hunter-gatherers. What are the strengths and weaknesses of Lieberman’s hypotheses and conclusions about these early hominins? How do his theories compare to those of other experts?
Examine the concept of dysevolution. How does cultural buffering impact dysevolution? Can you think of any other potential cases of dysevolution that are not described in the text? Use external resources as necessary to support your answer.
Lieberman suggests that humans are ill-adapted to modern culture, especially the modern lifestyle in Western nations. How does Lieberman characterize modern culture? Which factors—social, environmental, political, cultural—does he present as posing challenges to human health? What other factors can you think of that were not explicitly addressed in the text?
Analyze Lieberman’s use of personal anecdotes. How does his use of personal anecdotes impact the relationship between the author and the reader? How do they impact the themes or messages in the text?
Identify the common features of mismatch diseases. How do mismatch diseases arise? Are mismatch diseases always preventable or reversible? Why or why not?
Examine Lieberman’s assertions that government regulation is necessary to mitigate mismatch diseases. What reasoning does Lieberman use to support this claim? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
Lieberman briefly acknowledges some of the socioeconomic factors that can make it harder for people to avoid mismatch diseases, such as the higher cost of healthy foods compared to unhealthy sugary and fatty foods. What are some of the socioeconomic factors Lieberman mentions or alludes to? How could these socioeconomic factors be adequately addressed to deal with Evolutionary Implications for Health Practices and Policies?
The ideological context of The Story of the Human Body stresses the importance of prioritizing long-term consequences over short-term benefits. Using excerpts from the text and external sources to support your stance, answer the following question: Are long-term health consequences or short-term economic and social benefits more culturally important?
