The Human Story
Michael (Gates) Sweeney - 5th hour
Sophomore Academy English 2
The Human Story by James C. Davis
Harper Perennial, 2004
Non-Fiction
In The Human Story, James C. Davis explains how humankind came to be. How we developed civilizations, cities, empires, religions, and many other pieces of our everyday lives. He wrote about how our society has developed from going to war when you were 15 years old, and dying for your side. Although the book skips around, he covers topics “... from homo erectus to George W. Bush.” In the first few pages Davis discusses scientific terms such as Homo erectus and Homo sapiens, the first of the human species. Homo erectus went extinct 300,000 years ago, then Homo sapiens, the first humans, developed and were called “Wise Men.” The reason for this name was because of larger brains and higher skulls. Although they obtained larger brains, language development was not likely. Davis says that anthropologists “... change their minds every time they find agents skull.” This must be why I have never heard a solid answer concerning this subject. Davis also says that Homo sapiens had the gift of fire. “They had clever hands,” he says. “They can they could light a fire by striking sparks and lumps of iron ore.” I'm sure that the gift of fire helped them to later on to cook their food. This must have saved many lives from diseases from raw meat and uncooked foods. In summary Davis discusses the early resources that Homo sapiens had in their daily lives such as fire, tools, communication, etc. Later on in Chapter 6, Davis advances to the world’s empires. Davis writes about Rome, Persia, and the Mongol Empire, all located in the European and Asian countries we know today. Persia, located in what we know today as India, was ruled by Cyrus II. Cyrus claimed that he was the “king of the world.” In 264 BC Rome went to war against the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians were very skilled in the naval field. But Rome adjusted and beat them. I
Sophomore Academy English 2
The Human Story by James C. Davis
Harper Perennial, 2004
Non-Fiction
In The Human Story, James C. Davis explains how humankind came to be. How we developed civilizations, cities, empires, religions, and many other pieces of our everyday lives. He wrote about how our society has developed from going to war when you were 15 years old, and dying for your side. Although the book skips around, he covers topics “... from homo erectus to George W. Bush.” In the first few pages Davis discusses scientific terms such as Homo erectus and Homo sapiens, the first of the human species. Homo erectus went extinct 300,000 years ago, then Homo sapiens, the first humans, developed and were called “Wise Men.” The reason for this name was because of larger brains and higher skulls. Although they obtained larger brains, language development was not likely. Davis says that anthropologists “... change their minds every time they find agents skull.” This must be why I have never heard a solid answer concerning this subject. Davis also says that Homo sapiens had the gift of fire. “They had clever hands,” he says. “They can they could light a fire by striking sparks and lumps of iron ore.” I'm sure that the gift of fire helped them to later on to cook their food. This must have saved many lives from diseases from raw meat and uncooked foods. In summary Davis discusses the early resources that Homo sapiens had in their daily lives such as fire, tools, communication, etc. Later on in Chapter 6, Davis advances to the world’s empires. Davis writes about Rome, Persia, and the Mongol Empire, all located in the European and Asian countries we know today. Persia, located in what we know today as India, was ruled by Cyrus II. Cyrus claimed that he was the “king of the world.” In 264 BC Rome went to war against the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians were very skilled in the naval field. But Rome adjusted and beat them. I