So Human An Animal

This book will definitely be in print for many years to come, and not only because it won a Pulitzer Prize, but also because it sent a noble message to the people. Rene Dubos wrote this exposé to show that the habits of mankind were - and still are to a much greater extent - very injurious not only to the whole ecosystem, but more importantly to men. The Industrial Revolution was a great success from a certain perspective. But it also brought a lot of pollution and filth that must be dealt with. All the innovative technology is useful and harmful at the same time. We just don't see it because we feel "adjusted" to it. And the debilitating effects of technology on nature and our fellow men have been conspicuous, especially in the past decade. The Greek physician Hippocrates wrote an essay 2500 years ago called Airs, Waters, and Places. In it he asserted that people in various regions of Europe and Asia were different due to distinct physical environments. The latter wisdom is eternal. But the debate on whether men are shaped by nature or nurture has been going on for centuries and neither party will relent. In reality, both sided have concrete evidence and logic. Let me now summarize Rene's point of view which was presented in the book. Man is predisposed to many characteristics which he never develops due to various environmental and sociocultural factors, such as climate and food intake. Thus, to put it simply, consuming certain (or sufficient) foods and being exposed to certain weather has an effect on how a child will progress. Being genetically predisposed means nothing if environment doesn't activate those propensities. (Of course there are exceptions, i.e., mental or physical disabilities and diseases.) For example, slum children continue to inadvertently conform to their parents, not because of any genetic deficiencies, but because of sociological restrictions. Or, as one study showed, cats were raised from a very early age in cages with rats. When they reached adulthood, none of the cats ever attacked the rats. Even as primitive animals as cats are influenced in such unbelievable ways by their environment. Bottom line is, genetic impact on a biological being is unchangeable (unless with the nascent science of stem cells) and indeed potent. But environmental influence is far more prevalent and versatile. By degrading the environment the way man does, he inflicts perhaps irreparable damage on posterity. Innovation has been undeniably positive for our civilization. Cars, planes, and space shuttles are just a few of the inventions which could only have been predicted by a few prescient persons of the 19th century. But all that competition to invent and acquire wealth has been hurtful to us as human beings. According to the American urban planner Christopher Alexander, one of the worst consequences of modern life (and it certainly has exacerbated since then) was the "autonomy-withdrawal" syndrome. Many people, he claimed, used their home

Another reader reviewed this as "old news". I disagree. In academic geographic, architectural, and sociological circles the content of this book may be old news, but as a layman in all of those studies, I found this to be a profound introducton to the subtleties of human development. I know I'm not alone - there are plenty of people out there who have no real understanding of the underlying principles of heredity, childhood development, human environment, and physiology. Dubos covers these topics with amazing sensetivity and wisdom. This book's illuminating treatment of the issue of race alone should be enough to keep it relevant and important 40 years after it was written. It does read like a self-help book in a few places, but the surrounding context is penetrating enough to compensate for those few sentences.

NOTE it was written in 1968 - and Dubos was right on about all our problems...

A wonderful, astonishing book. If you are interested in how we, as a species forever in a state of subtle evolution, are unwittingly influenced by our environment, this is a book to read.