Health and the Rise of Civilization

Civilized nations popularly assume that “primitive” societies are poor, ill, and malnourished and that progress through civilization automatically implies improved health.  In this provocative book, Mark Nathan Cohen challenges this belief.  Using findings from epidemiology, anthropology, and archaeology, Cohen provides fascinating evidence about the actual effects of civilization on health, suggesting that some aspects of “progress” create as many health problems as they prevent or cure.