The dark history of mankind
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Description
Book Introduction
- “It was when humans began to cause serious harm to the world
“It’s been around for about 70,000 years.”
- Published in 30 countries worldwide
- History Bestseller/Steady Seller
- A long-time Amazon UK bestseller
- The most talked about topic on social media immediately after its release
『The Dark History of Humanity』, which brought laughter to all bookstores immediately after its publication in 2019, has been republished in a revised edition.
The new face, with its playful image, fully captures author Tom Phillips' signature humor.
This book has been loved by many readers since its publication and even now, with comments on social media such as “the most challenging history book” and “I never knew a history book could be this fun.”
Homo sapiens, meaning 'intelligent person'.
From its origins to the present, a history book has been published that delves into 'history that has not been intellectualized at all.'
Let's look around.
It's good to watch the news.
Everyone has probably thought this at least once.
Why is that person like that, and how did the world come to be like this? The glorious history of human folly continues to repeat itself.
Author Tom Phillips, who majored in anthropology, history, and philosophy of science at Cambridge University and was the editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed, challenges, encourages, and sometimes cheers us on with a poignancy, humor, and faithful research never before seen in history books.
The history he recorded is literally a series of dark histories.
It covers everything from the absurdities we know, such as Qin Shi Huang, Hitler, Mao Zedong, and Columbus, to the fatal dark histories of each individual living among us.
This makes us realize that history is not a distant or old story of others, but a story of our reality that touches our skin.
The diverse historical events and narratives, organized into ten themes including art, culture, science, technology, and diplomacy, draw us in as if watching a movie.
The author's humorous writing style particularly caught the attention of the readers, and the book became a bestseller on Amazon UK as soon as it was published, and was introduced in 30 countries around the world.
Take a front row seat as Tom Phillips' bold lecture begins, a feast of vivid knowledge.
If you simply follow the record of humanity's spectacular failures for fun, you will come across a moment of insight into our humanity.
“It’s been around for about 70,000 years.”
- Published in 30 countries worldwide
- History Bestseller/Steady Seller
- A long-time Amazon UK bestseller
- The most talked about topic on social media immediately after its release
『The Dark History of Humanity』, which brought laughter to all bookstores immediately after its publication in 2019, has been republished in a revised edition.
The new face, with its playful image, fully captures author Tom Phillips' signature humor.
This book has been loved by many readers since its publication and even now, with comments on social media such as “the most challenging history book” and “I never knew a history book could be this fun.”
Homo sapiens, meaning 'intelligent person'.
From its origins to the present, a history book has been published that delves into 'history that has not been intellectualized at all.'
Let's look around.
It's good to watch the news.
Everyone has probably thought this at least once.
Why is that person like that, and how did the world come to be like this? The glorious history of human folly continues to repeat itself.
Author Tom Phillips, who majored in anthropology, history, and philosophy of science at Cambridge University and was the editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed, challenges, encourages, and sometimes cheers us on with a poignancy, humor, and faithful research never before seen in history books.
The history he recorded is literally a series of dark histories.
It covers everything from the absurdities we know, such as Qin Shi Huang, Hitler, Mao Zedong, and Columbus, to the fatal dark histories of each individual living among us.
This makes us realize that history is not a distant or old story of others, but a story of our reality that touches our skin.
The diverse historical events and narratives, organized into ten themes including art, culture, science, technology, and diplomacy, draw us in as if watching a movie.
The author's humorous writing style particularly caught the attention of the readers, and the book became a bestseller on Amazon UK as soon as it was published, and was introduced in 30 countries around the world.
Take a front row seat as Tom Phillips' bold lecture begins, a feast of vivid knowledge.
If you simply follow the record of humanity's spectacular failures for fun, you will come across a moment of insight into our humanity.
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
Prologue: The Prelude to Folly
Our brain is stupid
Ah, what a nice environment
Life will find a way to live
Follow the leader
power of the people
Why do we have wars?
The splendid feast of colonialism
A diplomatic story so simple even fools and sitting presidents can understand it.
Be enthusiastic about new technology
A Brief History of Failures That Could Not See the Future
Epilogue: The Future of Folly
Acknowledgements
Books worth reading
Our brain is stupid
Ah, what a nice environment
Life will find a way to live
Follow the leader
power of the people
Why do we have wars?
The splendid feast of colonialism
A diplomatic story so simple even fools and sitting presidents can understand it.
Be enthusiastic about new technology
A Brief History of Failures That Could Not See the Future
Epilogue: The Future of Folly
Acknowledgements
Books worth reading
Detailed image
Into the book
Long, long ago, as the sun rose over the vast plains of a river in Ethiopia, a young female ape was lounging in a tree.
---From the "first sentence"
Humanity has many proud achievements (e.g. science, art, pubs), but it also has many shameful and disheartening blemishes (e.g. war, pollution, airport pubs).
--- p.10
Our brains compose symphonies, plan cities, and devise the theory of relativity, but when we buy a bag of potato chips at the store, it takes a good five minutes to decide which kind to buy.
--- p.20, from “Our Brain is Stupid”
In other words, our brains are not the result of careful design to be the ultimate thinking machine, but rather a collection of tricks, hacks, and shortcuts.
--- p.26
Humans are creatures who leave a mess wherever they go.
--- p.42, from "Ah, what a wonderful environment"
Human overconfidence in being able to control plants and animals as they wish has repeatedly led to great disaster.
--- p.64, from “Life Will Find a Way to Live”
There are always people who like to stand up and order others around.
I doubt if that's the right thing to do.
--- p.84, from “Follow the Leader”
Because those in absolute power have often committed atrocities on an enormous scale, many countries throughout history have attempted to reduce the evils by implementing something called 'democracy'.
--- p.112, from “The Power of the People”
The chaos, closed-mindedness, and macho antics that accompany war show just how prone humanity is to ruin in so many ways.
--- p.130, from “Why Do We Go to War?”
When viewed from a distance, human history is mostly a story of empires rising and falling, and people slaughtering each other.
--- p.154, from “The Splendid Feast of Colonialism”
Diplomacy is, in a word, the art of large groups of people not treating each other like assholes.
--- p.192, from “Diplomatic Stories Explained So Easily That Even Fools and Current Presidents Can Understand”
side
The dawn of the age of science, technology, and industry opened up new possibilities for humanity.
Now we can think in space.
--- p.216, from “Enthusiast about New Technology”
Humans are repeating the mistakes of the past at an increasingly rapid pace.
---From the "first sentence"
Humanity has many proud achievements (e.g. science, art, pubs), but it also has many shameful and disheartening blemishes (e.g. war, pollution, airport pubs).
--- p.10
Our brains compose symphonies, plan cities, and devise the theory of relativity, but when we buy a bag of potato chips at the store, it takes a good five minutes to decide which kind to buy.
--- p.20, from “Our Brain is Stupid”
In other words, our brains are not the result of careful design to be the ultimate thinking machine, but rather a collection of tricks, hacks, and shortcuts.
--- p.26
Humans are creatures who leave a mess wherever they go.
--- p.42, from "Ah, what a wonderful environment"
Human overconfidence in being able to control plants and animals as they wish has repeatedly led to great disaster.
--- p.64, from “Life Will Find a Way to Live”
There are always people who like to stand up and order others around.
I doubt if that's the right thing to do.
--- p.84, from “Follow the Leader”
Because those in absolute power have often committed atrocities on an enormous scale, many countries throughout history have attempted to reduce the evils by implementing something called 'democracy'.
--- p.112, from “The Power of the People”
The chaos, closed-mindedness, and macho antics that accompany war show just how prone humanity is to ruin in so many ways.
--- p.130, from “Why Do We Go to War?”
When viewed from a distance, human history is mostly a story of empires rising and falling, and people slaughtering each other.
--- p.154, from “The Splendid Feast of Colonialism”
Diplomacy is, in a word, the art of large groups of people not treating each other like assholes.
--- p.192, from “Diplomatic Stories Explained So Easily That Even Fools and Current Presidents Can Understand”
side
The dawn of the age of science, technology, and industry opened up new possibilities for humanity.
Now we can think in space.
--- p.216, from “Enthusiast about New Technology”
Humans are repeating the mistakes of the past at an increasingly rapid pace.
--- p.250, from “A Brief History of Failures That Could Not See the Future”
Publisher's Review
A record of the great failures of humanity from the birth of modern humans to the present.
What is humanity? For millennia, we humans have sought to answer this question in a variety of ways, and over the generations, these answers have become even more diverse.
Among them, history has shown the insight closest to the truth.
And here, we have a history book that shows us our true colors without being pretentious.
This book looks back at the countless failures we have experienced since the dawn of modern humanity.
Of course, we also have a great history.
We compose symphonies, send men to the moon, and contemplate black holes.
But it's also true that we have to think for at least five minutes before buying a single potato chip.
Humans make wrong decisions, whether intentional or unintentional, and regret them.
Forgetting things quickly can also be considered a characteristic.
How is our brain designed, how do our minds prefer and avoid certain situations, and how often do we fail when faced with problems by making easy judgments and passing judgments?
This book contains a history of our own spectacular failures, literally.
The author, a former editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed UK, makes us feel a pang of pain with his characteristically sharp tone.
Having written for numerous media outlets and fact-checked news, my work is thoroughly verified and backed by expert data.
From the origins of foolishness to the present, follow his captivating prose and you will discover a Homo sapiens who has become a little wiser than before.
Challenge humanity's failures now.
Human greed is endless, and they repeat the same mistakes.
'Human greed is endless, and they repeat the same mistakes.' This saying once became a trend on the Internet.
This saying applies to almost every situation and has spawned many parodies.
I didn't just chuckle at that wit, I sympathized with it a lot.
Perhaps the reason is that this saying contains a facet of human nature.
We easily see in the news, in the people around us, and in ourselves the human tendency to tirelessly repeat mistakes.
So this book is friendly.
That's because it captures the foolish things we do on a larger scale, with greater damage, and with greater fanfare.
Did he make a slight calculation error in his accounting books? Columbus got the units wrong and completely miscalculated the size of the Earth.
Are you annoyed by your friend who works at a multi-level marketing company? Paterson of Scotland, who founded a colony and instilled false hopes and vanity in his people, wasting half of the nation's wealth.
Have you ever misunderstood someone else's words and ruined a relationship? The Khwarazm Empire was wiped off the map forever after misreading a letter from Genghis Khan.
That's right, no need to worry.
We humans have been like that from the beginning.
As you read these records of failure, organized into ten themes: art, culture, science, technology, diplomacy, and politics, you might feel like abandoning even the little bit of humanity you had.
But does this tragic and foolish thing happen to someone else? Really? I repeat, human greed is endless, and we repeat the same mistakes.
Why history? The stories of failure that resonate with us as Koreans.
We have overcome in just a few decades the ups and downs that other countries would have experienced over a century.
Our compressed growth, unprecedented in any country in the world, is our achievement and a source of pride.
But it also came with many sacrifices.
Countless failures, mistakes, and wrong decisions have piled up, and even more have been neglected and left uncared for.
So the importance of history is always emphasized in Korea.
This is especially true when we look at history books that have been passed down in a distorted manner, especially when we look at the history that was not resolved in a timely manner during Japan's colonial rule.
The author of this book is British, and he criticizes Britain, which took the lead in colonialism, throughout the book.
In particular, Chapter 7, “The Splendid Feast of Colonialism,” provides detailed examples of why the claims of those who defend colonialism to this day are wrong.
History is as much about interpretation as it is about verified data.
The interpreter must know where he stands, and Tom Phillips did not forget that he was white and male.
And this book inevitably points out that it mainly deals with the stories of white Westerners.
Let's look back at the path we have taken to get to this point.
A little critically, from a step back, as this book is.
You will see many things you didn't know before.
It is a shameful story of humanity's failures, but strangely hopeful. That is the power of this book.
What is humanity? For millennia, we humans have sought to answer this question in a variety of ways, and over the generations, these answers have become even more diverse.
Among them, history has shown the insight closest to the truth.
And here, we have a history book that shows us our true colors without being pretentious.
This book looks back at the countless failures we have experienced since the dawn of modern humanity.
Of course, we also have a great history.
We compose symphonies, send men to the moon, and contemplate black holes.
But it's also true that we have to think for at least five minutes before buying a single potato chip.
Humans make wrong decisions, whether intentional or unintentional, and regret them.
Forgetting things quickly can also be considered a characteristic.
How is our brain designed, how do our minds prefer and avoid certain situations, and how often do we fail when faced with problems by making easy judgments and passing judgments?
This book contains a history of our own spectacular failures, literally.
The author, a former editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed UK, makes us feel a pang of pain with his characteristically sharp tone.
Having written for numerous media outlets and fact-checked news, my work is thoroughly verified and backed by expert data.
From the origins of foolishness to the present, follow his captivating prose and you will discover a Homo sapiens who has become a little wiser than before.
Challenge humanity's failures now.
Human greed is endless, and they repeat the same mistakes.
'Human greed is endless, and they repeat the same mistakes.' This saying once became a trend on the Internet.
This saying applies to almost every situation and has spawned many parodies.
I didn't just chuckle at that wit, I sympathized with it a lot.
Perhaps the reason is that this saying contains a facet of human nature.
We easily see in the news, in the people around us, and in ourselves the human tendency to tirelessly repeat mistakes.
So this book is friendly.
That's because it captures the foolish things we do on a larger scale, with greater damage, and with greater fanfare.
Did he make a slight calculation error in his accounting books? Columbus got the units wrong and completely miscalculated the size of the Earth.
Are you annoyed by your friend who works at a multi-level marketing company? Paterson of Scotland, who founded a colony and instilled false hopes and vanity in his people, wasting half of the nation's wealth.
Have you ever misunderstood someone else's words and ruined a relationship? The Khwarazm Empire was wiped off the map forever after misreading a letter from Genghis Khan.
That's right, no need to worry.
We humans have been like that from the beginning.
As you read these records of failure, organized into ten themes: art, culture, science, technology, diplomacy, and politics, you might feel like abandoning even the little bit of humanity you had.
But does this tragic and foolish thing happen to someone else? Really? I repeat, human greed is endless, and we repeat the same mistakes.
Why history? The stories of failure that resonate with us as Koreans.
We have overcome in just a few decades the ups and downs that other countries would have experienced over a century.
Our compressed growth, unprecedented in any country in the world, is our achievement and a source of pride.
But it also came with many sacrifices.
Countless failures, mistakes, and wrong decisions have piled up, and even more have been neglected and left uncared for.
So the importance of history is always emphasized in Korea.
This is especially true when we look at history books that have been passed down in a distorted manner, especially when we look at the history that was not resolved in a timely manner during Japan's colonial rule.
The author of this book is British, and he criticizes Britain, which took the lead in colonialism, throughout the book.
In particular, Chapter 7, “The Splendid Feast of Colonialism,” provides detailed examples of why the claims of those who defend colonialism to this day are wrong.
History is as much about interpretation as it is about verified data.
The interpreter must know where he stands, and Tom Phillips did not forget that he was white and male.
And this book inevitably points out that it mainly deals with the stories of white Westerners.
Let's look back at the path we have taken to get to this point.
A little critically, from a step back, as this book is.
You will see many things you didn't know before.
It is a shameful story of humanity's failures, but strangely hopeful. That is the power of this book.
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: March 25, 2024
- Page count, weight, size: 276 pages | 410g | 145*220*16mm
- ISBN13: 9791155817056
- ISBN10: 1155817052
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