{"product_id":"so-much-stuff-how-humans-discovered-tools-invented-meaning-and-made-more-of-everything-9780226801421","title":"So Much Stuff: How Humans Discovered Tools, Invented Meaning, and Made More of Everything","description":"\u003cb\u003eHow humans became so dependent on things and how this need has grown dangerously out of control.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Over three million years ago, our ancient ancestors realized that rocks could be broken into sharp-edged objects for slicing meat, making the first knives. This discovery resulted in a good meal and eventually changed the fate of our species and our planet. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e With \u003ci\u003eSo Much Stuff\u003c\/i\u003e, archaeologist Chip Colwell sets out to investigate why humankind went from self-sufficient primates to nonstop shoppers, from needing nothing to needing everything. Along the way, he uncovers spectacular and strange points around the world--an Italian cave with the world's first known painted art, a Hong Kong skyscraper where a priestess channels the gods, and a mountain of trash that rivals the Statue of Liberty. Through these examples, Colwell shows how humanity took three leaps that led to stuff becoming inseparable from our lives, inspiring a love affair with things that may lead to our downfall. Now, as landfills brim and oceans drown in trash, Colwell issues a timely call to reevaluate our relationship with the things that both created and threaten to undo our overstuffed planet. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eChip Colwell \u003c\/b\u003eis an archaeologist, former museum curator, and editor-in-chief of \u003ci\u003eSAPIENS\u003c\/i\u003e, a digital magazine about anthropological thinking and discoveries. He is the author and editor of twelve books, including the award-winning \u003ci\u003ePlundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits: Inside the Fight to Reclaim Native America's Culture\u003c\/i\u003e, also published by the University of Chicago Press. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of Chicago Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50610637603090,"sku":"9780226801421","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_03b7727b-dd61-4b75-aed9-ec72e713d52d.jpg?v=1737290728","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/so-much-stuff-how-humans-discovered-tools-invented-meaning-and-made-more-of-everything-9780226801421","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}