'Humans did not begin as a global species; we had to expand to become one. And we could not have done so without other living organisms becoming global along with us.' Robert P. Clark develops in this book a global life systems perspective that delineates how biological forces mutually reinforce one another--and what their globalization has meant for both human society and the biosphere. While he resists biological 'determinism, ' Clark traces interconnected developments among population, disease, agriculture, trade, fuels, and other life systems to more thoroughly explore and elucidate the globalization of human endeavors within an ever evolving context of nature and environment. His lucid and richly documented book offers a fresh look at social evolution and a broader basis for understanding the contemporary context for global change.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Incorporated
ISBN-10
0742500748
ISBN-13
9780742500747
eBay Product ID (ePID)
1835545
Product Key Features
Book Title
Global Life Systems : Population, Food, and Disease in the Process of Globalization
Author
Robert P. Clark
Format
Hardcover
Language
English
Topic
Demography, Sociology / General, Life Sciences / Evolution, Agriculture & Food (See Also Political Science / Public Policy / Agriculture & Food Policy), Ecology, History
Publication Year
2001
Genre
Nature, Science, Medical, Social Science
Number of Pages
368 Pages
Dimensions
Item Length
9.3in
Item Height
1in
Item Width
6.1in
Item Weight
0 Oz
Additional Product Features
Lc Classification Number
Gf50.C53 2000
Reviews
This is a well-organized book, clearly argued, and the writing is accessible. The central story line is leavened with interesting examples and anecdotes to light and lighten the path., In this important new book, Robert Clark shows that globalization is not a process that began twenty or even five hundred years ago, but rather has roots that are to be found thousands of years back into the human past. Moreover, it has been not just an economic process but a biological and demographic one as well. Those who wish to understand the current process of globalization in its proper historical context will do well to read this book....
Table of Content
Part 1 Global Life Systems Chapter 2 Life Systems and Globalization Chapter 3 Population Chapter 4 Food Chapter 5 Disease Part 6 Case Studies Chapter 7 Agriculture Comes to Europe Chapter 8 The Biology of the Silk Road Chapter 9 The Biological Impact of Europeans on Eastern North America, 1600-1800 Chapter 10 Feeding Industrial Cities Part 11 Consequences Chapter 12 Global Food Networks in the Information Age Chapter 13 Emerging (and Re-emerging) Infectious Diseases Chapter 14 The Loss of Biodiversity Chapter 15 Where Do We Go from Here?: Biological Dimensions of Interplanetary and Interstellar Migration