Intro to Part 3 and Chapter 7:

Animals + People
What stood out to me the most in this chapter was the difference between the Americas and Eurasia in the extent of their trading. I thought that surely, there would be vast interaction among peoples in the Americas. The book states that the exchange was hindered due to lack of domesticable animals. And this is an interesting point as well. It seems that modernization lags in societies that are like this. Not only does a lack of animals hinder trade. In the past chapters, it was mentioned that it also means agriculture can’t be practiced on a large scale.
Deductions:
Society - Animals = no agriculture + no trade = no big civilizations
It reminds me of the question Ms. Andrews asked in class a few lectures ago: “Who here truly loves all animals?” When she first said that, I thought that she was going to connect it to history and how animals were important to human development. If not love, we have to at least appreciate all kinds of animals because history would have turned out differently without them. They helped us progress to where we are today. The last part of this chapter was a great reminder of our reliance on these other species.
In a broader way of looking at the chapter, another thing I was concerned about was the little control we have over how we shape our societies. Society’s “net movement” (I really can’t think of another word) is shaped by the environment. Where we are born, the animals that are there, the materials, the climate, the countries nearby, has long-lasting impacts on how our lives play out. What reminded me of this was the different types of resources available in each country that stimulated trade in the first place. Some countries lucked out and became successful because their land had resources that others lacked, or because their location was conveniently placed where they could be a center of trade.
  • A negative: This is a reminder that our first places in life are determined by sheer chance/luck.
  • A positive: The growth of trade shows that humans are resourceful - what we first lack, we will get one way or another! So everything will be okay! Human willpower is amazing. We are able to find different routes to faraway places so we can get what we want.
  • Deduction: Resources + willpower = achievement
Something I wish the chapter explained in greater detail was diseases. I feel like it was a very small part of the chapter, even though it had a huge impact: both positive and negative.

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day! :)

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