Tamed: 10 Species that Changed our World

　　繼《槍炮、病菌與鋼鐵》、《人類大歷史》後，
　　又一部深入人類歷史、橫跨數個領域的精彩之作
　　
　　數十萬年前，我們的祖先靠狩獵、採集野生動植物生存下來。而後發生了革命性的變化──遠古人類與其他物種間的互動改變了。
　　
　　他們開始馴服牠們。人口因而急速成長，文明出現了。
　　
　　我們現今已經習慣了科技改變人類生活的這個概念，但直到科學革命發生之前，人類的創新大多還是奠基於大自然：馴化動植物，以及從他們身上取得資源，例如羊毛、棉花等等。在本書中，Alice Roberts講述了十個物種的深遠歷史：狗、蘋果、小麥、牛、馬鈴薯、雞、稻米、玉米、馬，和人類。她揭露了其他物種如何成為我們的盟友、這對他們本身造成了何種深刻的影響，以及這些我們施加於自然世界的改變，又是如何使我們來到生態陷入危機的此刻。
　　
　　本書作者Alice Roberts具有多重身分，她是醫學博士、解剖學家，亦專精考古學、人類學及古病理學。她也是知名的節目主持人，拍攝了多部紀錄片及節目，如〈The Incredible Human Journey〉、〈Origins of Us〉、〈Digging for Britain〉等。在這部作品中，Roberts以淵博的知識及生動的文字，帶領讀者穿越歷史的長河，探索人類的起源，以及人類馴化其他物種的歷史，深具啟發性，內容廣博且讓人深深著迷，將改變我們看待人類本身和其他物種的方式。（文/博客來編譯）
　　

　　**'A masterpiece of evocative scientific storytelling.' BRIAN COX**
　　
　　**'The best popular book on broad-sweep history since Guns, Germs and Steel.'** Peter Forbes
　　
　　The extraordinary story of the species that became our allies.
　　
　　For hundreds of thousands of years, our ancestors depended on wild plants and animals for survival. They were hunter-gatherers, consummate foraging experts, taking the world as they found it. Then a revolution occurred – our ancestors’ interaction with other species changed. They began to tame them. The human population boomed; civilisation began.
　　
　　In Tamed, Alice Roberts uncovers the deep history of ten familiar species with incredible wild pasts: dogs, apples and wheat; cattle, potatoes and chickens; rice, maize and horses – and, finally, humans.
　　
　　She reveals how becoming part of our world changed these animals and plants, and shows how they became our allies, essential to the survival and success of our own species.
　　
　　Enlightening, wide-ranging and endlessly fascinating, Tamed encompasses thousands of years of history and archaeology alongside cutting-edge genetics and anthropology. Yet it is also a deeply personal journey that changes how we see ourselves and the species on which we have left our mark.
　　
　　Review
　　
　　"Roberts remains composed, engaging and undogmatic throughout… Tamed is an excellent point of entry for anyone who wants to understand the new deep human history and what it portends" （Guardian）
　　
　　"This book is an utter delight… I loved the stories, the information. But what I loved most was the message of the book: how to preserve what we have before we lose it forever. Humans have a massive impact on the plant, both locally and globally" （Twilight Beasts）
　　
　　"An engrossing and highly readable account of where man is now and how we have reached this point" （Parents in Touch）
　　
　　"A masterpiece of evocative scientific storytelling." （Professor Brian Cox）
　　
　　"Two recent pioneers of the history of humanity are Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs and Steel, and Yuval Noah Harari, in his book Sapiens. It is a teeming subject, about which Roberts is multiply qualified to write, as an anatomist, archaeologist, anthropologist, paleopathologist and professor of public engagement in science. Roberts remains composed, engaging and undogmatic throughout… Tamed is an excellent point of entry for anyone who wants to understand the new deep human history and what it portends." （Peter Forbes Guardian）

作者簡介

　　Alice Roberts is an anthropologist and Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham. She has presented several landmark BBC series including The Incredible Human Journey, Origins of Us, Coast and The Celts. Her latest book, The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being, was shortlisted for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize in 2015.