The World Until Yesterday

What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?

By: Jared Diamond

Narrated by: Jay Snyder

Length: 18 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Most of us take for granted the features of our modern society, from air travel and telecommunications to literacy and obesity. Yet for nearly all of its six million years of existence, human society had none of these things. While the gulf that divides us from our primitive ancestors may seem unbridgeably wide, we can glimpse much of our former lifestyle in those largely traditional societies still or recently in existence. Societies like those of the New Guinea Highlanders remind us that it was only yesterday - in evolutionary time - when everything changed and that we moderns still possess bodies and social practices often better adapted to traditional than to modern conditions.

The World Until Yesterday provides a mesmerizing firsthand picture of the human past as it had been for millions of years - a past that has mostly vanished - and considers what the differences between that past and our present mean for our lives today.

This is Jared Diamond’s most personal book to date, as he draws extensively from his decades of field work in the Pacific islands, as well as evidence from Inuit, Amazonian Indians, Kalahari San people, and others. Diamond doesn’t romanticize traditional societies - after all, we are shocked by some of their practices - but he finds that their solutions to universal human problems such as child rearing, elder care, dispute resolution, risk, and physical fitness have much to teach us. A characteristically provocative, enlightening, and entertaining book, The World Until Yesterday will be essential and delightful listening.

©2012 Jared Diamond (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Jared Diamond Delivers

This guy can't write a crappy book. Perhaps he over-reaches when comparing modern groups of people to more aboriginal, living peoples, but the overall message is solid.

A little bit of something for everyone

This book is part anthropology, sociology, education, parenting, history and policy making. One of Jared's best works that is well organized, written and applicable for both academics and regular folks.

Stroke a chord

The stories stroke a lot of chords in my soul, especially about childhood, treating adults, resolving conflicts, taking responsibility, and respecting other cultures.

Fascinating!

I'm a great fan of Diamond and I enjoyed this book a lot and learned from it. The topic is one I've thought of often-- the world has recently changed so much (cell phones, Internet, pavement, airplanes, cars, movies, television, immense variety of food, medicine) but people haven't changed. Our basic needs are the same and it's not clear how well modern society fulfills some of them even while other needs are satisfied beyond the dreams of our ancestors. The two things that weren't excellent were (a) the section on diet. This is a topic that has been written about extensively all over the place so there wasn't anything new as there was in other sections and (b) the narrator was very good but not, I felt, a good match to the book, since he sounded like a young man (30s or 40s), yet the book was written in the first person by Diamond who mentioned repeatedly that he's 75 years old. I think a narrator with an older but still energetic sound would have fit better. Those minor points aside, I loved the book and recommend it highly.

Jared Diamond books just get better.

I can listen to Jared Diamond books over and over again and learn something new each time because they are so packed full of intereting imformation.

A well written book with great narration

The narration was outstanding and the story was for the most part very engaging to listen to.

Very worthwhile read

Jared Diamond writes a very knowledgeable and in depth look about traditional societies. It gives great insight to traditional societies and juxtaposes them to our current modern societies. It is a very a scholarly work. Some chapters are on the dry except for the anthropologist at heart. Overall though it's very thought provoking reading.

We are all trapped !!!

Read this book. Lots of good ideas from traditional societies about how we can improve our own life.

Good look at things that once where.

Would you listen to The World until Yesterday again? Why?

I would, but would jump around a bit more to different topics I wanted to look at.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The World until Yesterday?

Diamonds personal stories were quite griping. The section on religion opened my eyes on another reason for religion that I didn't know.

Which scene was your favorite?

The store of the young child hit by a car and how justice was applied in their culture.

If you could give The World until Yesterday a new subtitle, what would it be?

How have people changed sense they once all lived in traditional societies

Removing the Mystery

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

This book was a disappointment compared to a few other Diamond titles I have read. I wouldn't particularly recommend it.

Did The World until Yesterday inspire you to do anything?

(1)Write succinctly and to the point. (2) Attempt to be humble and open-minded toward others whose beliefs are different than my own. Both of the above very much unlike the attitude of the author in this book.

Any additional comments?

Due to having enjoyed GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL and COLLAPSE, I expected more from "Traditional Societies" than what Diamond delivered. Generally, I agree with what many others have said in their reviews. I especially felt that many of his conclusions tend toward the obvious (What? I shouldn't eat these foods?). Hardly worthy of wading through such a long-winded analysis!

I listened to the audiobook version and appreciated the narration. I also appreciated the Anthropology 101 lessons near the beginning of the book describing the differences between bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and nations, and how these categories overlap and interact with decision-making structures, governments, war, agriculture, etc. I also was challenged by some of Diamond's thoughts about not taking unnecessary risks, child-rearing, and multilingualism as a preventative for Alzheimers.

I'll limit the rest of this review to express disappointment in Diamond's treatment of religion. Everyone has the right to believe what they want, but Diamond is way out of his league on the topic of religion. His presentation is elementary, one-sided, and tends toward being downright arrogant. Diamond would be well served by considering the last chapter of C.S. Lewis' THE ABOLITION OF MAN (available for free on line), which while not treating the subject of religion specifically, discusses the limits of the scientific method and the relevance of natural law. Quantum physicists (string theorists and others) have been grappling with some of these implications in recent years. Simplifications which help scientists do science sometimes break down in the end. There is still room for "mystery."