The World Until Yesterday

What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?

Jared Diamond

Recommended By

Book Synopsis

"The World Until Yesterday" by Jared Diamond is a thought-provoking exploration of traditional societies and their relevance to our modern world. Drawing upon his extensive fieldwork in remote areas, Diamond examines how traditional societies have adapted to challenges such as child-rearing, conflict resolution, healthcare, and dealing with aging populations. Through captivating anecdotes and rigorous analysis, Diamond shows how we can learn valuable lessons from these societies to improve our own lives.

In this enlightening book, Diamond highlights the importance of cultural diversity and the unique knowledge that traditional societies possess. He delves into the practices of hunter-gatherer communities, showcasing their efficient decision-making processes and resilient social structures. Diamond also examines the ways in which these societies handle disputes and conflicts, offering valuable insights for conflict resolution in today's world.

"The World Until Yesterday" explores the ways in which traditional societies emphasize community support and cooperation. Diamond demonstrates the advantages of communal child-rearing, demonstrating the benefits that extended families and close-knit communities provide for children's well-being and development. Additionally, he examines the elderly's roles within these societies, showcasing how they are valued for their wisdom and actively included in community life.

Diamond also delves into the health practices of traditional societies, discussing their holistic approaches to medicine and analyzing the reasons for their relatively low rates of chronic diseases. From diet and exercise to stress reduction techniques, the author presents ideas that challenge conventional wisdom in the field of healthcare.

Throughout this captivating read, Diamond draws parallels between traditional societies and our own, questioning the adequacy of our modern systems and encouraging us to reevaluate our lifestyles. By looking at the vast array of human experiences, "The World Until Yesterday" compels us to challenge our assumptions and embrace the wisdom of traditional societies to shape a more resilient and harmonious future.

Explore More Books

See All
Montaigne's Essays
Nourishing Traditions
Intellectual Life in the Middle Ages
The Museum of Other People
The Smartest Guys In The Room
Tao of Philosophy
A Wrinkle in Time
Mathematics: Its Content, Methods and Meaning
You Can Be a Stock Market Genius
The Overview Effect
Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter
All Over but the Shoutin'
Where Do School Funds Go?
Endure
The Captive Mind
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Razor's Edge
English Culture and the Decline of the Industrial Spirit, 1850-1980
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information
Guns, Germs, and Steel
The Ride of a Lifetime
Creative Selection
The Alchemist
The American Story
All I Want to Know is Where I'm Going To Die So I'll Never Go There
The Surrender Experiment
The Experience Machine
The God Delusion
Catching the Big Fish
A Guide To Econometrics
Hackers & Painters
The Unincorporated Man
Startup
The Origin of Species
The Wisdom of Crowds
Negotiating The Impossible
Rise of the Machines
The Bully Pulpit
Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish
Rick and Morty Book Two
The New New Thing
Recapturing The Spirit Of Enterprise
The Art of Asking
The Selfish Gene
The Fountainhead
Dictionary of Untranslatables
The Book of Why
Central Banking 101
Command
Lights Out
War Nerd
The Essays of Warren Buffett
The Rational Optimist
Principles of Economics
The Humanure Handbook
P53
Digital Gold
The Advantage
The Inner Studio
Infrastructure
Foundation and Empire
A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis
Twilight of the Bombs
Energy Myths and Realities
Q.E.D.
The Act of Creation
How to Dress an Egg
The Heart
The Devil’s Financial Dictionary
Albert Einstein
Incognito
An Agricultural Testament
Mindfulness in Plain English
The Omnivore's Dilemma
Discourses on Livy
Last Chance to See
Filters Against Folly
Altars of Unhewn Stone
The Dog Stars
Eradication
Why Globalization Works
In Praise of Slowness
An Unquiet Mind
The Power To Compete
The Friction Project
A History of Knowledge
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics
Stalingrad
Skunk Works
We Learn Nothing
Automate This
Philosophy and Scientific Realism
The Amateur
Product Design for the Web
America's Cultural Revolution
Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy
Very Good, Jeeves
The Kitchen Cookbook
Behind the Beautiful Forevers
The Power of Glamour