Book
Review
by Don Cormier
Although
nearly a decade old, this book, obtainable in libraries and in used book
stores, is a "must read" for those people interested in improving personal
health and community life.
The
basic ideas of the book are implied in it's dedication:
"To
the memory of our ancestors, whose genes we bear, and to the small number
of remaining hunters and gatherers who have taught us so much about ourselves." |
The
authors claim that human bodies and communities evolved in a certain environment,
that we were well suited to that environment, but that we have changed
the environment so that now we are suffering from maladaptations.
To improve our personal health and community life, we need to adopt some
of the life-style elements which were prevalent about 10,000 years ago,
in the Paleolithic age. They claim that we can get a good idea of
what the Paleolithic life-style was like by studying the habits of modern
hunter-gatherers.
The
book's main prescriptive points can be summarized without too much difficulty.
With
some exceptions, the Paleolithic diet was high in fiber content, high in
vitamin content, moderate in protein content, and low in fat. Modern
experiments and surveys suggest that people who follow a similar diet have
a reduced risk of developing cancer or heart disease. Therefore,
to reduce the risk of getting cancer or heart disease, a person would be
prudent to adopt a high-fiber, high vitamin, low fat diet.
As
far as paleontologists and archaeologists can tell, tobacco and alcohol
were late introductions. The health hazards associated with the use
of both substances are well documented so, for perfect Paleolithic health,
they should be eschewed.
The
Paleolithic lifestyle included a lot of running, jumping, climbing, and
heavy lifting. Think about hunting a large beast, such as a mammoth,
and carting it back to the cave! Therefore, to use our bodies as
they were designed by evolution, we should include aerobic exercise in
our daily routine, and possibly weight-lifting as well.
Studies
cited in the book suggest that a high state of physical fitness, as defined
by body-fat content, measures of heart rate, and the speed of muscle tissue
recovery after use, is associated with resistance to disorders of "old
age". Such exercise strengthens bones and tendons, and makes people
less prone to be damaged by accidents.
It
is believed that modern hunter gatherer societies which function at a technological
level similar to that of Paleolithic societies exhibit social patterns
which resemble those of Paleolithic times. The book's authors admit
that there are great variations in the social arrangements of modern hunter-gatherer
societies, but that certain patterns are common to most if not all such
societies.
In
many modern hunter-gatherer societies, babies are breast-fed, and kept
close to their mothers' bodies for a long time. They are indulged.
The common child raising style for infants and toddlers can be described
as permissive. When the child reaches the age of six or seven, stricter
discipline is gradually introduced. By the time the child reaches
puberty, discipline is often quite strict.
Contemporary
American methodology is almost the opposite of this pattern. The
implication is that we should change the way we treat our children, to
avoid many of the psychological and behavior problems which are becoming
so disturbing.
In
most contemporary hunter-gatherer societies, learning occurs more through
play and direct observation of adults than through intentional instruction.
The child's "project" is to learn to survive, and the child is immersed
in the survival situation from the moment of birth. The implication
is that our teaching methods, though perhaps needed for imparting detailed
abstract information, go against the way we most easily learn.
The
book is very good, but it has two significant flaws.
The
first is that the authors present little proof for the idea that human
bodies have not evolved much in 10,000 years. It is true that the
current scientific consensus supports this position, but better documentation
within the text would have been an improvement. In other aspects
the book is highly documented, with profuse background information on the
theory of evolution, modern hunter gatherer societies, human physiology,
and disease patterns.
The
second flaw is that the Paleolithic prescription is no easy-to-swallow
pill. No matter how sensible it would be to make the recommended
changes, laziness and greed stand in the way of making them. We may
enjoy watching National Geographic specials about exotic tribes, but few
of us really want to give up our couch potato life-styles.![10x5 Page Background GIF Image](../../Images/10x5_Page_Background.gif)
Long ago, an author whose name I no
longer remember said that there would not be, anywhere in the universe,
beings more intelligent than we are. The reason, he said, is that
any intelligent species will eventually attain the level of intelligence
necessary to control its environment. After that, he reasoned, the
environmental influences that encouraged further increases in intelligence
will no longer operate upon that species. However, intelligence doesn't
equal wisdom. Even though our species might not evolve any further,
I see nothing to prevent it from degenerating.
— editor
|
Buck Hunter Shoots Off His Mouth
Dear Buck
I'm 45 years old, but my wife says that
I have the body of a 30 year old man. What do you think about that?
— Health Nut
Dear Health Nut
If the cops find out, you're in big trouble.
|