Tamed

Ten Species that Changed our World

De: Alice Roberts

Narrado por: Alice Roberts

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Tamed, written and read by Alice Roberts.

The extraordinary story of the species that became our allies.

For hundreds of thousands of years, our ancestors depended on wild plants and animals for survival. They were hunter-gatherers, consummate foraging experts, taking the world as they found it. Then a revolution occurred – our ancestors’ interaction with other species changed. They began to tame them. The human population boomed; civilisation began.

In Tamed, Alice Roberts uncovers the deep history of ten familiar species with incredible wild pasts: dogs, apples and wheat; cattle, potatoes and chickens; rice, maize and horses – and, finally, humans.

She reveals how becoming part of our world changed these animals and plants, and shows how they became our allies, essential to the survival and success of our own species.

Enlightening, wide-ranging and endlessly fascinating, Tamed encompasses thousands of years of history and archaeology alongside cutting-edge genetics and anthropology. Yet it is also a deeply personal journey that changes how we see ourselves and the species on which we have left our mark.

'A masterpiece of evocative scientific storytelling.' Brian Cox

'The best popular book on broad-sweep history since Guns, Germs and Steel.' Peter Forbes

AN ECONOMIST AND MAIL ON SUNDAY 'BOOK OF THE YEAR' 2017

Reseñas de la Crítica

A masterpiece of evocative scientific storytelling. (BRIAN COX)

Epic and joyous, a landmark in the story of us. (Adam Rutherford)

Two recent pioneers of the history of humanity are Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs and Steel, and Yuval Noah Harari, in his book Sapiens. It is a teeming subject, about which Roberts is multiply qualified to write, as an anatomist, archaeologist, anthropologist, paleopathologist and professor of public engagement in science. Roberts remains composed, engaging and undogmatic throughout… Tamed is an excellent point of entry for anyone who wants to understand the new deep human history and what it portends. (Peter Forbes)

[A] lively work of popular scientific history, in which [Roberts] looks at 10 species that have become part of our everyday existence ... illuminating facts, Roberts is an informed guide to the oddities that have made the world what it is today.

Tamed may be the title of Alice Roberts' latest book, but the writing is anything but tame. Lyrical storytelling untangles the current thinking on how we've entwined our lives with those of plants and animals. From dogs to apples to potatoes to chickens, Roberts provides fascinating insights into domestication, offering anecdotes from past and present that link genetic and archaeological findings. (Liz Kalaugher)

Superb: fascinating, intimate biographies of the species that have shared our white-knuckle ride to the present and have helped to make us what we are. Read if you want to know what and why you are.’ (Charles Foster, author of Being a Beast)

The sort of deep-dive history that will appeal to fans of Jared Diamond and Yuval Noah Harari.

There are plenty of facts in Tamed that make the familiar well worth exploring afresh. But it's the fascinating stories that explain how these were unearthed that make this book such a joy to read. (Tristan Gooley)

An engrossing and highly readable account of where man is now and how we have reached this point

This book is an utter delight…. I loved the stories, the information. But what I loved most was the message of the book: how to preserve what we have before we lose it forever. Humans have a massive impact on the plant, both locally and globally

Learned a lot, yet disappointed in the end

Ms Robert does a fascinating job putting together info from various disciplines to tell a story of origins and development. While using ,say, dogs , she illustrates many new and old science techniques to weave a story that is both interesting and instructive. She is a Science Communicator, and she does that well.
The down-side/ interesting aspect is her (to American ears) very British accent which sometimes distracts or confuses. She was talking about "tubers" but it sounded exactly like "cheevers"
The major flaw was in her otherwise nice melding of science and storytelling was in the end segments where she lets her own "gut" keep from delving into the science and actual experience of GMOs. Similarly, she makes a grand case for environmental stewardship yet voices hope for "the organic movement" despite pointing out one paragraph before that organic farming is less efficient (true) and that nearly all farmable land is already under cultivation (also true).

Impressive

Dr. Alice Roberts is one of the best communicators
of science, history, and anatomy in our times… Well done!

Please leave out the sermons.

An otherwise great book is sullied by the author's prejudice. She gets very preachy about GMOs and is obviously biased against any research done by a private firm. Her own bias illustrates that academics are hardly without self-interest. The last hour of the recording is not worth the time. Also, her British pronunciations of many of the words is very distracting.

informative description of domestication

this book takes advantage of very recent genetic evidence outlining the domestication of 10 different species. the genetics were presented largely as conclusions. but did identify the still present uncertainties and controversies, i.e. it does not present the actual arguments but more of a 30000 ft overview. it was well worth the time, I did not fast forward through any part. the chapter on horse domestication was among the most interesting.