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Jared Diamond: The World Until Yesterday

By Clare S Ryan, on 15 February 2013

Are you over 65? Intend to live past 65? Have parents or grandparents who are 65 or above? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, this lecture is of interest to you.An elderly couple

Jared Diamond is an anthropologist and best-selling author, perhaps most famous for his book, Guns, Germs and Steel. His latest book, The World Until Yesterday, explores what tribes can teach us about the millions of years of human society that preceded the emergence of government.

The book has been widely reviewed, and attracted praise and criticism – notably from the organisation Survival International.

Diamond has spent much of his career conducting field work with tribes in New Guinea. This lecture took a particular look at how tribes treat older members of their societies and what lessons, if any, we can learn from them. (more…)