The Intimate Bond: How Animals Shaped Human History

Description

The Intimate Bond: How Animals Shaped Human History

by Brian Fagan

ISBN:  9781620405727

Publisher:  Bloomsbury Press

Publication Year:  2015

Format:  Hardcover

Pages:  309

From the inside leaf:

“Animals, and our ever-changing relationship with them, have left an indelible mark on human history.  From the dawn of our existence, animals and humans have been constantly redefining their relationships with each other, and entire civilizations have risen and fallen due to this curious bond we share with our fellow fauna.  Brian Fagan unfolds this fascinating story – from the first wolf that wandered into our prehistoric ancestors’ camp and found companionship, to the industrial age when some animals became commodities and were often brutally exploited while others became pets nurtured and pampered to absurd extremes.

Through an in-depth analysis of six truly transformative animal-human relationships, Fagan shows how our habits and our very way of life were considerably and irreversibly altered by our intimate bond with animals.  Among other stories, Fagan explores how herding changed human behavior, how the humble donkey helped launch the process of globalization, and how the horse carried a hearty band of nomads across the world and helped topple the emperor of China.

With characteristic care and penetrating insight, Fagan reveals the profound influence animals have exercised on human history and how, in fact, they often steered it.”