Cannibalism
By Bill Schutt
A Perfectly Natural History. Algonquin Books, 2017.
Summary of Cannibalism book by Bill Schutt
Exploring cannibalistic practices in the natural world and throughout the animal kingdom, as well as how human cannibalism has been received, practiced, or reviled in different cultures throughout history.
Chapters in Cannibalism book summary
What do you get from this book? A research-laden look at cannibalism in the natural world, human history, and culture
Cannibalism was once considered abnormal but science shows that it is a common practice in nature
Some species have evolved to use cannibalism for the survival of the next generation and to control population levels
Although humans didn’t evolve to practice cannibalism, it has happened in certain cultures and circumstances
Greek myths, western stories, and anthropological reports all contributed to the cultural perception that cannibalism is unacceptable
Exaggerated stores of people-eating cultures were used to justify the Spanish conquest of the new world
Medicinal cannibalism was widely practiced in Europe for centuries, despite the taboo and narratives against it
Modern western taboos about cannibalism have almost certainly eliminated ritual cannibalism today—but other forms still exist
Eating members of one’s own kind can cause fatal diseases that can even spread across species
Summary of the key insights
Selected critiques in brief
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Cannibalism — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read Cannibalism book
- Sociologists and historians
- anyone interested in human behavior
- people curious about cultural taboos
About the author of Cannibalism
Bill Schutt
Bill Schutt is a zoologist with a Ph.D. from Cornell, and the biology professor at LIU Post. He also serves as a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History. In addition to numerous published papers and books about animal behaviors and the natural world, Schutt also writes fiction; his books include Dark Banquet and The Darwin Strain.
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