Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up
Written by Tom Phillips
Narrated by Nish Kumar
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
Weaving together history, science, politics and pop culture, Humans offers a panoramic exploration of humankind in all its glory, or lack thereof. From Lucy, our first ancestor, who fell out of a tree and died, to General Zhou Shou of China, who stored gunpowder in his palace before a lantern festival, to the Austrian army attacking itself one drunken night, to the most spectacular fails of the present day, Humans reveals how even the most mundane mistakes can shift the course of civilization as we know it. Lively, wry and brimming with brilliant insight, this unique compendium offers a fresh take on world history and is one of the most entertaining reads of the year.
Editor's Note
Success in failure…
Lots of things separate humans from other species: We can have complex conversations, control fire, and screw up in spectacular fashion with far-reaching consequences. This laugh-out-loud book flips the history you learned in school on its head, pinning many of humanity’s greatest successes to our worst failures. It’s the revisionist history humankind needs.
Tom Phillips
Tom Phillips is a farm boy from Mississippi whose grandfather was a circuit-riding preacher. His family’s spiritual heritage originated in the great awakenings throughout the Southeast, beginning in Kentucky, in the early 1800s. The Word of God as a daily guide for faith and practice bred a strong devotional life, a life of sharing God’s love through Jesus, and the joy in the Lord that historically changed the southeastern portion of the United States and eventually touched Tom’s family. Tom Phillips’ upbringing compelled him to share his faith as a young man. Desiring to help people, he began studying medicine with the intention of becoming a surgeon. But God intervened, calling him to share not physical healing but spiritual healing—the Good News of Jesus Christ, a loving and forgiving Lord and Savior. Tom’s education quickly moved from medical school to seminary. Tom yielded to God’s call to a life of evangelism while in his second year of seminary. He realized the world had a desperate spiritual need and that a revived church could be the catalyst to renew society as had happened in previous revivals. God impressed upon Tom that he would share in a great revival to bring this nation back to Jesus’ love and forgiveness. God’s call opened to him a world of ministry, and eventually, the opportunity to serve with Billy Graham, where he saw millions surrender to salvation through Jesus.
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Reviews for Humans
36 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What a laugh out loud survey of the greatest fuck ups of our oh so flaw species. The audio version is read by the author and I must say, it added more hilarious snark to an already sarcastic take on human history. I learned and I laughed, and that is a winning combination for me.
The author tries to end with an obligatory attempt to look positively towards the future, but I think given the rest of the book, it did not reassure me. But at least I can have a laugh at how fucked we are. 5/51 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Not fascinating in any way. Underwhelming in some sections while humorous in some.