Before humans can innovate, they must first survive. The most important resource for survival is food. This simple fact created an enormous constraint on the development of societies. The technologies, skills, processes and organizations that human created to overcome this constraint is a key trend in human history.
I recommend that you read these book summaries in the following order:
- “An Edible History of Humanity” by Tom Standage
- “First Farmers” by David Bellwood
- “Tamed: Ten Species that Changed Our World” by Alice Roberts
- “A History of World Agriculture” by Mazoyer and Roudart
- “The Agricultural Systems of the World: An Evolutionary Approach” by David Grigg
- “People, Plants and Genes: the Story of Crops and Humanity” by Denis Murphy
- “An Introduction to Agricultural Geography” by David Grigg
- “The Big Ratchet: How Humanity Thrives in the Face of Natural Crisis” by Ruth DeFries
- “Alchemy of Air: … the Scientific Discovery that Fed the World” by Thomas Hager
- “Food, Energy and Society” by David and Marcia Pimentel
- “Rice Almanac” by Maclean, Hardy and Hettel
If there is a book that you find particularly interesting, please support the author by buying the book.
The Ratchet of Technology, a site by Michael Magoon 