編輯推薦
Plenty of provocative ideas in this grand sweep of evolutionary biology and anthropology: not surprising for this MacArthur ``genius'' Award-winner, Natural History columnist, and UCLA Medical School physiology professor. With only 1.6 percent difference between the human genome and the genomes of two species of chimps, Diamond declares that we should call ourselves ``the third chimpanzee.'' (Curiously, he fails to mention neoteny as making a world of genetic difference.) Diamond first reviews human evolution, ending with the great leap forward that he attributes to language. New in this area is a discussion of animal art and communication (e.g., bowerbird constructions, vervet-monkey talk) and creolization (the development of sophisticated human languages from pidgin forms). With respect to other human features, Diamond reprises all the theories you've ever heard about sexual behavior, selection, menstruation, menopause, etc. Ditto for aging. He steers a common- sense course between extremes, opting for the games-theory approach of optimizing one's genes and of group survival. Old-but-not- fertile elders are essential imparters of knowledge for the group. A chapter on self-destructive behaviors (smoking, drinking, drug abuse) offers the peculiar theory that we do it to advertise that we are really superior because we can flaunt handicaps! No mention is made of the fit of the chemicals to receptors in the brain and to circuits evoking pleasure. Later, drawing on his special knowledge of New Guinea, Australia, and Polynesia, and his research on birds, Diamond provides a fascinating if overwhelmingly pessimistic view of human predation through genocide, species and resource destruction, and potential nuclear disaster. Conclusions of continued human, species, and planetary destruction are inescapable, in spite of Diamond's optimism that we can learn from the past and some modest success he has had with conservation programs. Quirky arguments at times, yes, but generally Diamond is as sharp as his name.
內容簡介
The Development of an Extraordinary Species
We human beings share 98 percent of our genes with chimpanzees. Yet humans are the dominant species on the planet -- having founded civilizations and religions, developed intricate and diverse forms of communication, learned science, built cities, and created breathtaking works of art -- while chimps remain animals concerned primarily with the basic necessities of survival. What is it about that two percent difference in DNA that has created such a divergence between evolutionary cousins? In this fascinating, provocative, passionate, funny, endlessly entertaining work, renowned Pulitzer Prize–winning author and scientist Jared Diamond explores how the extraordinary human animal, in a remarkably short time, developed the capacity to rule the world... and the means to irrevocably destroy it.
作者簡介
Jared Diamond is the author of the bestselling Collapse and Guns, Germs, and Steel. A professor of geography at the University of California, Los Angeles, he has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. He is a MacArthur Fellow and was awarded the National Medal of Science
精彩書評
"The Third Chimpanzee will endure." --
-- Edward O. Wilson, Harvard University
"Everyone will enjoy reading this brilliant book. It helps us understand what it means to be human."
-- Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University, and author of The Population Bomb
"Plenty of provocative ideas ... Diamond is as sharp as his name."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"Wonderful . . . Jared Diamond conducts his fascination study of our behavior and origins with a naturalist's eye and a philosopher's cunning."
-- Diane Ackerman, author of A Natural History of the Senses
前言/序言
好的,以下是一份針對您所提及的圖書《The Third Chimpanzee》(第三種猩猩)的替代性圖書簡介,該簡介將專注於描述其他主題,並力求細節豐富、文筆自然,不提及任何與原書內容相關的信息: --- 《星塵的迴響:人類文明的宇宙航行史詩》 一部關於人類探索未知、挑戰極限,並最終觸及宇宙邊疆的宏偉敘事。 作者: 亞曆山大·科爾賓 (Alexander Corbin) 類型: 硬科幻、曆史幻想、太空歌劇 頁數: 680頁 (精裝版) 內容概要 《星塵的迴響》並非僅僅是一部關於太空飛船和遙遠行星的科幻小說,它是一部深入人類集體潛意識、探討文明在時間長河中如何演進與消亡的史詩巨著。本書以宏大的時間跨度,描繪瞭從“大分流時代”(The Great Divergence Era)開始,人類文明如何掙脫地球的引力束縛,嚮著銀河係深處播撒火種的復雜曆程。 故事的核心圍繞著“先驅者艦隊”(The Vanguard Fleet)展開。這支由數萬艘巨型世代飛船構成的星際方舟,承載著地球文明最後的希望,在一次全球性的生態災難後,踏上瞭尋找宜居新世界的漫長徵途。作者科爾賓以其驚人的曆史洞察力和對未來技術的細緻構建,將讀者帶入一個既熟悉又陌生的未來圖景。 第一部:破碎的搖籃與星際的呼喚(約 1-150 頁) 開篇追溯瞭地球文明在“大分流時代”的危機。這不是一場突然的戰爭,而是一場緩慢、難以察覺的係統性崩潰——氣候變遷、資源枯竭、以及信息過載導緻的社會結構瓦解。科爾賓細緻入微地描繪瞭人類如何在絕望中選擇瞭“飛升”而非“固守”。 本部分重點刻畫瞭“創世委員會”(The Genesis Council)的誕生。他們是集閤瞭頂尖工程師、社會學傢和遺傳學傢的精英團體,肩負著在密閉的世代飛船中維持一個微型社會的重任。作者詳細描述瞭飛船內部復雜而脆弱的生態循環係統——從藻類農場到空氣淨化器的每一個細節,都建立在嚴謹的科學基礎之上。讀者將跟隨首席工程師伊利亞·沃洛夫,體驗他在飛船啓動前夜,麵對著數百萬沉睡公民的沉重責任感。 核心主題: 存續的倫理、技術對人性的重塑、以及“傢園”的定義被無限拉長後的心理負擔。 第二部:寂靜的航行與世代的記憶(約 151-350 頁) 隨著世代飛船進入亞光速巡航,時間的概念變得模糊不清。本書最引人入勝的部分在於對“乘員代際效應”的深刻探討。生活在太空中的第十代、第二十代人,他們對“地球”這個詞匯的理解,已經退化成神話或抽象的數據流。 作者引入瞭“記憶碎片”(Memory Shards)的概念。為瞭保持文明的核心價值,每一艘飛船都安裝瞭復雜的神經接口係統,定期嚮公民灌輸經過嚴格篩選的曆史記憶。然而,這種人為維護的記憶開始産生偏差,不同的飛船族群發展齣瞭截然不同的文化和信仰體係。 本部分的主綫人物是曆史學傢兼“記憶仲裁者”薇拉·陳。她發現,在一次例行的係統升級中,某些關鍵的曆史事件——特彆是關於“大分流”真正原因的真相——被神秘地刪除或扭麯瞭。薇拉開始質疑,他們所遵循的“創世委員會”的教義,究竟是延續文明的基石,還是一個精心編織的控製工具。她的調查將她引嚮飛船深處的“隔離區”,那裏是早期探險傢留下的未解之謎。 核心主題: 曆史的建構與篡改、身份認同的危機、以及在漫長孤獨中滋生的集體偏執。 第三部:接觸與宇宙的悖論(約 351-550 頁) 經過數百年的航行,先驅者艦隊終於抵達瞭目標星係——“翡翠之心”星團。這是一個由數韆顆宜居行星構成的復雜係統。然而,等待他們的並非一片淨土,而是更深層次的復雜性。 科爾賓在這裏展現瞭他對天體物理學和外星生態學的卓越想象力。他們發現,部分行星已經被一個被稱為“寂靜之網”(The Silent Web)的智能網絡所覆蓋。這個網絡似乎是數百萬年前一個高度發達的、非碳基文明留下的基礎設施,它既不具攻擊性,也完全無視人類的到來。 衝突爆發於人類內部:“定居派”主張立刻利用“寂靜之網”的技術優勢,強行建立殖民地;而“觀察派”則堅持必須先理解網絡的運行機製,以免重蹈覆轍。主角薇拉·陳發現,“寂靜之網”的運作邏輯似乎與人類追求的綫性進步觀完全相悖,它似乎在追求一種更高維度的“熵平衡”。 本書最扣人心弦的情節之一,是薇拉冒險深入一個被“寂靜之網”控製的巨大空間站,試圖下載核心數據。她發現,這個古老文明的結局並非毀滅,而是“選擇性溶解”——他們主動放棄瞭物質形態,融入瞭宇宙背景輻射。 核心主題: 接觸的代價、文明發展的非綫性路徑、以及對“成功”的重新定義。 終章:星塵的低語(約 551-680 頁) 在最終的抉擇麵前,人類文明麵臨著分裂。一部分人選擇殖民一顆新行星,重建他們記憶中的“地球”;另一部分人,在薇拉的引導下,開始嘗試與“寂靜之網”進行更高層次的交流,尋求一種超越物質載體的存在方式。 結局是開放而富有哲思的。飛船不再是承載肉體的方舟,而是意識的孵化器。人類最終沒有徵服宇宙,而是學會瞭與之共存,甚至成為其更深層結構的一部分。科爾賓以一種近乎冥想的筆觸,描繪瞭最後一批“純粹的人類”看著他們的後代,以光的速度嚮著未知的星雲傳播信息流的場景。 《星塵的迴響》是對人類精神韌性的終極禮贊。它探討瞭當我們被剝奪瞭腳下的土地、被拉伸瞭時間的概念時,究竟是什麼定義瞭我們是“人”。這是一部關於希望、犧牲、以及在無垠的黑暗中,我們如何選擇點燃自己微弱光芒的史詩。 --- 讀者評價摘錄: “科爾賓構建的宇宙密度令人窒息。他讓我們思考,也許我們最宏偉的成就不在於我們能走多遠,而在於我們如何記住我們是從哪裏來的。” — 《宇宙拓荒者評論》 “一部罕見的傑作,它既有阿西莫夫的精確,又有勒古恩的詩意。我很久沒有讀到如此令人心碎卻又充滿敬畏的作品瞭。” — 知名科幻作傢 莉娜·馬修斯