Ben Waber reviewed The Invention of Prehistory by Stefanos Geroulanos
A Deeply Insightful, Rollicking Tour Through Scientific History
5 stars
Geroulanos masterfully analyzed the surprisingly recent history of the quest to understand and frame the origins of humanity. He shows how deeply scientific examinations, and their employment for political purposes, are deeply intertwined with racism, colonialism, eugenics, and nearly every horror of the last 150 years (there's a chapter simply titled "Nazis"). Overall he demonstrates the stark contrast between how much we've learned about the details of our ancestors and how little we understand about their larger context, enabling us to spin narratives around our past to suit our own purposes. Highly recommend
Geroulanos masterfully analyzed the surprisingly recent history of the quest to understand and frame the origins of humanity. He shows how deeply scientific examinations, and their employment for political purposes, are deeply intertwined with racism, colonialism, eugenics, and nearly every horror of the last 150 years (there's a chapter simply titled "Nazis"). Overall he demonstrates the stark contrast between how much we've learned about the details of our ancestors and how little we understand about their larger context, enabling us to spin narratives around our past to suit our own purposes. Highly recommend