Showing results for "Fire" in Civilization

According to legend, the Roman emperor Nero set fire to his majestic imperial capital on the night of July 19, 64 AD and fiddled while the city burned. It’s a story that has been told for more than two millennia - and it’s likely that almost none of it is true. In Rome Is Burning, distinguished Roman historian Anthony Barrett sets the record straight, providing a comprehensive and authoritative account of the Great Fire of Rome, its immediate aftermath, and its damaging long term consequences for the Roman world.

Over vast expanses of time, fire and humanity have interacted to expand the domain of each, transforming the earth and what it means to be human. In this concise yet wide-ranging book, Stephen J. Pyne - named by Science magazine as "the world's leading authority on the history of fire" - explores the surprising dynamics of fire before humans, fire and human origins, aboriginal economies of hunting and foraging, agricultural and pastoral uses of fire, fire ceremonies, fire as an idea and a technology, and industrial fire.

This gripping narrative history reveals how one elemental force forged human civilization and now threatens to destroy it. From the sparks that cooked the meals of early hominids to the sprawling megafires of the climate crisis, our relationship with combustion is a tale of breathtaking progress...

Harnessing a deadly natural element sparked human evolution, forged empires, and ignited our modern climate crisis. This awe-inspiring popular science journey traces the untamed physical phenomenon of the flame from prehistoric lightning strikes to the glowing hearths that fundamentally rewired...

How four tools enabled humanity to control its destiny What enabled us to go from simple stone tools to smartphones? How did bands of hunter-gatherers evolve into multinational empires? Listeners of Sapiens will say a cognitive revolution - a dramatic evolutionary change that altered our brains, turning primitive humans into modern ones - caused a cultural explosion. In Transcendence, Gaia Vince argues instead that modern humans are the product of a nuanced coevolution of our genes, environment, and culture that goes back into deep time.

Explore the global mythology of winged serpents and chaos monsters that ancient civilizations worshiped and feared. Perfect for a reflective commute or an evening of deep learning, this atmospheric journey reveals why humanity always filled the blank spaces on our maps with fire-breathing...

Experience the epic urban history of a city forged by catastrophe, resilience, and unyielding imperial ambition. Perfect for your daily commute, this immersive journey transports you from a fragile Roman outpost to a restless modern financial hub. Feel the visceral drama of invasion, epidemic...