The Human Story free essay sample

Michael (Gates) Sweeney 5th hour Sophomore Academy English 2 The Human Story by James C. Davis Harper Perennial, 2004 Non-fiction In The Human Story, James C. Davis explains how humankind came to be. How we developed civilizations, cities, empires, religions, and many other pieces of our everyday lives. He wrote about how our society has developed from going to war when you were 1 5 years old, and dying for your side. Although the book skips around, he covers topics from homo erectus to George W. Bush. In the first few pages Davis discusses scientific terms such as Homo erectus and Homo sapiens, the first of the human species. Homo erectus went extinct 300,000 years ago, then Homo sapiens, the first humans, developed and were called Wise Men. The reason for this name was because of larger brains and higher skulls. Although they obtained larger brains, language development was not likely. Davis says that anthropologists . change their minds every time they find agents skull. We will write a custom essay sample on The Human Story or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This must be why I have never heard a solid answer concerning this subject. Davis also says that Homo sapiens had the gift of fire. They had clever hands, he says. They can they could light a fire by striking sparks and lumps of iron ore. Im sure that the gift of fire helped them to later on to cook their food. This must have saved many lives from diseases from raw meat and uncooked foods. In summary Davis discusses the early resources that Homo sapiens had in their daily lives such as fire, tools, communication, etc. Later on in Chapter 6, Davis advances to the worlds empires. Davis writes about Rome, Persia, and the Mongol Empire, all located in the European and Asian countries we know today. Persia, located in what we know today as India, was ruled by Cyrus II. Cyrus claimed that he was the king of the world. In 264 BC Rome went to war against the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians were very skilled in the naval field. But Rome adjusted and beat them. I would like to know what grappling irons are. David said that they were used by the Romans to latch onto the Carthaginians ships. Eventually Rome fell apart. The only sign of it today is their technology and the city, Rome, Italy. In chapter 10 Davis writes about the American Indian empires. The main two empires consisted of the Mayans and the Aztecs. The Mayan empire first began in villages, but then their population climbed and climbed and the villages became cities. Each of which were built around squares with palaces and temples. The Mayans were known to be the most accomplished peoples of the ancient world. For the text they began their empire illegally. They would settle on private land near lakes rivers fertile land until the rightful owners drove them out. They continued their method of trespassing until they finally came across two vacant islands on Lake Texcoco. So now, surrounded by water, the Aztecs settled in a secure location with food, water, and fertile land for growing crops. They used long bridges to reach the mainland where they would hunt and establish small shacks for security. Although the Mayans were known to be more powerful, I believe the Aztecs had Just the same the awful years of the world wars. Most people believe that the war would also be the last. They called it the war to end war. Unfortunately though, the second world war appeared in the 1930s, when the United States and its allies finally shut down Hitler and all of Germanys cruelty. Japan had developed an ally which helped him with supplies and many necessities for war. This ally was China. China today is a communist country, only allowing certain imports and exports. The United States has grown to hate China because of their terrible products that they produce, but our government hates them for their communism. Japan make the first right of World War II at Pearl Harbor. They pulled the trigger for one of the biggest wars of all time. Meanwhile Hitler wanted Austria very badly. David says the main reason was because he was born there, and he believed Germany deserved it. One thing I noticed was Davis didnt really get into Hitlers cruelty towards other religions or races, and I wonder why. All in all, The Human Story was an insightful book to read. Although I knew many of the events and eras, it was a helpful refresher for me and should help me out throughout this year.