Why Are We Here?

The Story of the Origin, Evolution, and Future of Life on Our Planet

by Bruce Brodie

Formats

Softcover

$22.95

E-Book

$3.99

Audio

$9.99

Softcover

$22.95

Book Details

Language : English

Publication Date : 5/23/2019

Recognition Programs

Format : Softcover

Dimensions : 7.5x9.25

Page Count : 446

ISBN : 9781532048548

Format : E-Book

Dimensions : N/A

Page Count : 446

ISBN : 9781532067976

Format : Audio

Dimensions : N/A

Page Count : N/A

ISBN : 9781663206572

About the Book

From the big bang, to the origin and evolution of intelligent life in a search for the meaning of human existence, Why are We Here?, by author Bruce Brodie, offers a look at evolution and the future of life on the planet. Through many years of research and study, Brodie addresses a host of questions: • How did chemistry come to life? • How did the release of oxygen by cyanobacteria change the natural history of life? • How did mass extinctions reset the clock and reshape the course of biological evolution? • Why are homo sapiens so dominant? • Why do humans build vast civilizations, while chimps, with whom we share more than 98 percent of our DNA, are confined to forests and experimental laboratories and zoos? • How will cultural and technological evolution, which have transcended the slow pace of biological evolution, shape the future of life on the planet? • Can we escape the many existential threats that hover over us? Why are We Here? offers a new perspective on how we think about the world, and our place and our purpose in the universe and the future of humanity. It presents a lasting sense of the amazing wonder and mystery of life.

About the Author

Bruce Brodie is a retired clinical professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina and co-founder and past chairman of the LeBauer-Brodie Center for Cardiovascular Research and Education at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has been a leader in research in the treatment of heart attacks and has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts in leading cardiology journals.

Customer Reviews

“Why Are We Here” is an incredible book. I expected a book on “Darwinian Evolution” but this book is that & so much more. It discusses the origin of our universe from the big bang and how oxygen, carbon, calcium, nitrogen & other molecules with energy interacted in the creation of the simplest forms of “life.” Through billions of years, more complex chemical interactions resulted in single-cell organisms which evolved into a more complex form of multicellular life with the ability to reproduce itself ultimately resulting in the diversity we see on our planet today. The scientific principles permitting our evolution to Homo Sapiens is broken down into simple, understandable units which can be understood by a reader without a scientific background. This book is easy to read and at times truly entertaining. Clearly, it is directed toward the lay reader but even those with a strong scientific background will learn a great deal. The strength of this book is not just how & why we, Homo Sapiens, developed, how & why we developed sexual reproduction, how organs developed (there is a fascinating chapter on the development of the eye), how life went from sea to land, how we populated the Earth from Africa but more difficult philosophical topics were discussed such as cultural & moral evolution, the evolution of consciousness, and the question “is death a natural outcome of life?” The final section of the book is most interesting & entertaining. This includes existential threats to humans & our planet such as climate change, asteroid impact or artificial intelligence. How will technological development change life as we know it? Will future evolution lead us to new species of “man?” Through “crispr” & other techniques we now have the knowledge to rapidly change our very genetic nature. This book forces us to consider difficult questions about life now & in the future. Most likely the future will depend on the decisions we make.

James Adelman
“Why Are We Here” is an incredible book. I expected a book on “Darwinian Evolution” but this book is that & so much more. It discusses the origin of our universe from the big bang and how oxygen, carbon, calcium, nitrogen & other molecules with energy interacted in the creation of the simplest forms of “life.” Through billions of years, more complex chemical interactions resulted in single-cell organisms which evolved into a more complex form of multicellular life with the ability to reproduce itself ultimately resulting in the diversity we see on our planet today. The scientific principles permitting our evolution to Homo Sapiens is broken down into simple, understandable units which can be understood by a reader without a scientific background. This book is easy to read and at times truly entertaining. Clearly, it is directed toward the lay reader but even those with a strong scientific background will learn a great deal. The strength of this book is not just how & why we, Homo Sapiens, developed, how & why we developed sexual reproduction, how organs developed (there is a fascinating chapter on the development of the eye), how life went from sea to land, how we populated the Earth from Africa but more difficult philosophical topics were discussed such as cultural & moral evolution, the evolution of consciousness, and the question “is death a natural outcome of life?” The final section of the book is most interesting & entertaining. This includes existential threats to humans & our planet such as climate change, asteroid impact or artificial intelligence. How will technological development change life as we know it? Will future evolution lead us to new species of “man?” Through “crispr” & other techniques we now have the knowledge to rapidly change our very genetic nature. This book forces us to consider difficult questions about life now & in the future. Most likely the future will depend on the decisions we make.

James Adelman
How did organic chemicals brought to earth by meteorites come together to form simple life forms? How did unicellular organisms evolve into multicellular organisms and ultimately complex life forms? Is there a common ancestry that links all of earth's life forms? These are challenging questions to understand even for those of us with scientific backgrounds. The genius of this book is that Dr. Brodie has distilled possible answers to these questions and the evolution of life to the present in understandable and readable language. This lets readers from all backgrounds enjoy the fascinating story of evolution. The book is divided into 6 major sections with the last one dealing with current issues and possible future technological and evolutionary trends. For many readers starting on a section of interest may be the best way to get into the discussion and enjoy the insights that the author provides. I believe this book contains information that everyone will find fascinating and I strongly encourage you to read it.

Karl Fields

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