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Loading... Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History (2017)by Bill Schutt
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. a really entertaining overview of cannibalism in nature, including human cannibalism and some things, like eating the placenta, which might not quite be cannibalism, but skirt the issue. Entertainigly presented, with a minimum amount of gore , considering the subject matter and occasional glimpses of humor. my only beef was that human ( or genus Homo anyway) cannibalism was dealt with in about 13 of 19 chapters. I'd have preferred more on the rest of the animal kingdom, though I admit the cultural , religious and even artistic ( placent print , anyone) aspects were very interesting. ( ) Engaging and entertaining without being gratuitous or sensational. The first bit focuses on species other than our own that cannibalize each other, while the second part focuses on cannibalism in all its iterations in our own species. So much of what you might have heard growing up of tribes in remote places eating people could be wrong. Not necessarily, but we have a long history of accusing the "other" of partaking in a practice so vial that any abhorrent treatment of them could be justified (looking at you Columbus). I enjoyed the chapter on religious practices, and was horrified to hear how the Catholic church was complicit in yet another atrocity, this time against the Jews in regards to the treatment of the Eucharist. Such a fascinating natural history, definitely recommend, just not while you eat... The idea of cannibalism has long simultaneously fascinated and repulsed us. Despite occurring naturally and widely across the animal kingdom, when it comes to us humans, civilizations across the ages have nearly unanimously regarded it as taboo. Zoologist Bill Schutt sets out to examine cannibalism from a purely scientific perspective, from fish and dinosaurs to insects and, yes, humans. Schutt deliberately steers clear of sensationalized contemporary examples of criminal cannibalism, focusing instead on way it has manifested in historically ritualistic or medicinal aspects of culture. Natural history is one of my favorite areas of study, so I found this an interesting read. Recommended for fans of same. no reviews | add a review
"Eating one's own kind is completely natural behavior in thousands of species, including humans. Throughout history we have engaged in cannibalism for reasons relating to famine, burial rites, and medicinal remedies. Cannibalism has been used as a form of terrorism but also as the ultimate expression of filial piety. With unexpected wit and a wealth of knowledge, Bill Schutt, a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History, takes us on a tour of the field, exploring exciting new avenues of research and investigating questions like why so many fish eat their offspring and some amphibians consume their mother's skin; why sexual cannibalism is an evolutionary advantage for certain spiders; why, until the end of the eighteenth century, British royalty regularly ate human body parts; how cannibalism may be linked to the extinction of Neanderthals; why microbes on sacramental bread may have led to Catholics' to persecute European Jews in the Middle Ages. Today, the subject of humans consuming one another has been relegated to the realm of horror movies, fiction, and the occasional psychopath, but be forewarned: As climate change progresses and humans see more famine, disease, and overcrowding, biological and cultural constraints may well disappear. These are the very factors that lead to outbreaks of cannibalism. As he examines these close encounters of the cannibal kind, Bill Schutt makes the ick-factor fascinating"-- No library descriptions found. |
LibraryThing Early Reviewers AlumBill Schutt's book Cannibalism was available from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)394.909Social sciences Customs, Etiquette, Folklore General Customs CannibalismLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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