So Human an Animal

Dubos' premise is one that while dated at 50 years past had much prescience toward the ensuing decades. The increasing tide of adoption of technology and the decline of social and environmental 'safe' aspects of the culture played prominent in this snapshot of what he saw as the past and present as well as his foray into 'futuristic' predictions for the human condition.
Unfortunately, the length of this publication was a bit short for a wide-encompassing presentation of all of the material presented... too many subjects, not enough substance. Given that, there were several subjects... and references cited to that end... to which I found myself drawn to investigate further... both from a historical perspective and from one toward which show more to see what the past 50 years might have either validated Dubos' thesis or negated or ameliorated them.
I've read better histories, and better presentations of aspects of science, technology and society, so in my view this Pulitzer Prize winner stands as but an interesting waypoint in the conflict of "the two cultures". I should seek out other books by Dubos.
I found it interesting that in Dubos' discussion of environmental factors that he did not mention on of the big 'wake-up calls' that was published earlier in the 1960's... "Silent Spring". Also of note was his dismissal of Buckminster Fuller, with only a passing slighting reference to one of Fuller's ideas. Both Carson and Fuller remain part of (at least of my) public conscious, but until I found this book in a used bookshop I had never heard of Dubos, despite his pioneering work in showing that bacteria could be harnessed to produce antibiotics and that he is attributed to be the author of the maxim "Think globally, act locally". show less

"A renowned biologist tells how man is shaped by his environment, how we can control such environmental forces as urbanization and technology, and how we need urgently to study the effects of these forces if we are to enhance our humanness". - from the back cover blurb, and a fine agenda it is. Dated now, but the concerns addressed are as urgent as ever.