Penguin (2022)

ISBN  978-0141991061

Reviewed by Ian Mowll

 

 

The Dawn of Everything is a hopeful reimagining of our human past. Anthropologist David Graeber and archaeologist David Wengrow challenge the familiar story that humanity moved in a linear path from ‘primitive’ simplicity to complex, hierarchical civilisation. Instead, they present a far richer and more liberating picture: one in which human societies have always been diverse, experimental, and capable of consciously shaping how they live.

Reading this book felt inspiring: it highlights the many ways societies can be organised and, by implication, challenges the assumption that we are permanently locked into a form of neo-liberal capitalism that is driving ecological breakdown. Even today, we can see widely different social models – from the high quality of life experienced in Scandinavian countries, to Costa Rica, often cited for wellbeing and environmental leadership, to the tightly controlled society of North Korea.

Of course, the past is no predicator of the future, but reading this book left me feeling hopeful that change is possible, even if it is not easy. It suggests that we should continue to support bold and imaginative attempts to do things differently, as these can move us towards fairer, happier, and more sustainable ways of living. After all, if we can send people to the moon and uncover the structure of subatomic particles, surely we can bring the same effort and creativity to help shape a better society.

Unfortunately, the book is too long. Whilst each example written about is interesting, the broad point that the book is trying to make could have been done in half the number of words. That said, I always find it fascinating to read about different cultures, particularly through the fresh eyes of the authors.

For GreenSpirit readers, The Dawn of Everything is more than a history book. It is an invitation to reclaim human creativity, to question inherited narratives, and to re-envision our relationship with each other and the Earth. In a time of ecological uncertainty, its message is both radical and reassuring: the way we live now, does not inevitably mean living the same way in the future.