Book description
Books about the origins of humanity dominate bestseller lists, while national newspapers present breathless accounts of new archaeological findings and speculate about what those findings tell us about our earliest ancestors. We are obsessed with prehistory--and, in this respect, our current era is no different from any other in the last three hundred years. In this coruscating work, acclaimed historian Stefanos Geroulanos demonstrates how claims about the earliest humans not only shaped Western intellectual culture, but gave rise to our modern world. The very idea that there was a human past before recorded history only emerged with the Enlightenment, when European thinkers began to reject faith-based notions of humanity and history in favor of supposedly more empirical ideas about the world. From the "state of nature" and Romantic notions of virtuous German barbarians to theories about Neanderthals, killer apes, and a matriarchal paradise where women ruled, Geroulanos captures the sheer variety and strangeness of the ideas that animated many of the major thinkers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, including Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Charles Darwin, and Karl Marx. Yet as Geroulanos shows, such ideas became, for the most part, the ideological foundations of repressive regimes and globe-spanning empires. Deeming other peoples "savages" allowed for guilt-free violence against them; notions of "killer apes" who were our evolutionary predecessors made war seem natural. The emergence of modern science only accelerated the West's imperialism. The Nazi obsession with race was rooted in archaeological claims about prehistoric IndoGermans; the idea that colonialized peoples could be "bombed back to the Stone Age" was made possible by the technology of flight and the anthropological idea that civilization advanced in stages. As Geroulanos argues, accounts of prehistory tell us more about the moment when they are proposed than about the deep past--and if we hope to start improving our future, we would be better off setting aside the search for how it all started. A necessary, timely, indelible account of how the quest for understanding the origins of humanity became the handmaiden of war and empire, The Invention of Prehistory will forever change how we think about the deep past.
About the Author
Stefanos Geroulanos is the Director of the Remarque Institute and a Professor of History at New York University. The author of Transparency in Postwar France: A Critical History of the Present and other books, he lives in New York, NY.
Drift
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Free Ham
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Genghis Glyph
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Houston Rocket
It's impressive how the app caters to both seasoned readers and newcomers. ListenBook's customizable features, from playback speed to audio filters, cater to every audiobook lover's preferences. ListenBook's user-friendly design and compatibility with different formats have made it my go-to app. This app has made waiting in lines and queues an opportunity for exploration and enjoyment. I love the compatibility with iOS 16. The app runs smoothly and flawlessly.
Grave Digger
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Tart Voodoo
With ListenBook, I can listen to my favorite audiobooks and speeches with the utmost comfort and convenience. Sharing audiobooks with friends through AirDrop and Sharing on ListenBook Pro is a feature I can't live without. This app's ease of use has made my downtime more enriching and enjoyable.
Taz Ringer
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Darth 44
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Twine X
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Doll Champagne
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Disco Thunder
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Bombay Shivers
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Midas
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RealmRanger
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Kabuki
Changing the tone of the sound on ListenBook Pro is a fun and unique feature I can't get enough of. πΆ Music? Nah, I prefer immersing myself in captivating stories with this app! πΆπ Audiobook excellence simplified β this app's functionality is a true delight. ListenBook Pro's noise reduction feature is a blessing for clear dictaphone recordings. ListenBookβs support for CarPlay and Apple Watch is fantastic. I can listen anywhere.
Captain Peroxide
I love that I can switch between devices seamlessly and continue where I left off. User-friendly brilliance! This app's functionality enhances my audiobook experience.
Earl of Arms
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Captain Peroxide
ListenBook's compatibility with CarPlay and Apple Watch integration ensures that I can enjoy my content wherever I go. The layout is not only beautiful but also intuitive. Controls are easy to access. ListenBook's library organization keeps my audiobooks neat and accessible. A true organizational lifesaver! The app is so well-designed. Itβs clear the developers put a lot of thought into it.
East Army
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Flashpoint
I love how this app fits seamlessly into my daily routine. Finally, an app that supports all audiobook formats. It's a dream come true for audiophiles like me.
Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience