Humanity's descent: the consequences of ecological instability

The director of the Smithsonian's Human Origins Program presents a new view of how we became human, making eloquently clear how our activities are intimately connected with the shifting climates of the planet. Potts maintains that altough we have acquired the capacity to alter our surroundings and to mimic the environmental changes that created us, our future still lies in our ability to tolerate environmental insult and to clarify our relationship with nature. Maps & charts.