James Meigs
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Mankind Decoded volume 2
Description
About 10,000 years ago, we discover farming. But when crops fail, early farming communities face a new threat. War. It's the birth of the arms race.
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Mankind Decoded volume 11
Description
Mankind is a building species. Inspired by the divine, we create monuments to its power (Stonehenge, the Great Pyramid). New challenges create new sciences, and when the Romans mixed volcanic ash with water, they created a new super-material: concrete.
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Mankind Decoded volume 10
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Communication is the vital ingredient in the building of civilization. The ability to share complicated ideas allowed early man to hunt, farm and build communities. And the creation of things like a 22-letter alphabet and the printing press.
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Mankind Decoded volume 8
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Early man rubbed two sticks together and created fire. We learn to cook our food, saving vital energy. As a result, our brains expand--making us the most intelligent species on the planet. Armed with fire, we experiment by heating minerals.
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Mankind Decoded volume 9
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15,000 years ago man and the wolf form a partnership that shapes the future of Mankind. With the help of man's new best friend, we domesticate more animals, sowing the first seeds of farming and civilization.
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Mankind Decoded volume 6
Description
Tools and machines have allowed us to overcome our physical limitations, and become the most successful species on Earth. But tools are also transforming what it means to be human.
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Mankind Decoded volume 5
Description
Man uses plants to feed, heal and clothe himself, to build his world and even to alter how he feels. The use of plants like corn, tobacco and cotton become such an important part of our lives that they play a central role in our evolution.
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Mankind The Story of All of Us volume 3
Description
The crucifixion of Jesus gives birth to global religion, but Christianity may never have happened without the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire's vast network of roads and shipping lanes allows goods and ideas to flow across three continents.
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Mankind The Story of All of Us volume 12
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The end of the Civil War allows Mankind to go into overdrive. This is an age of innovation, transformation and mass production. People believe that "Anything, everything, is possible." Japan goes from feudal society to industrial superpower.
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Mankind The Story of All of Us volume 8
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In the Andes, the Spanish open up the largest silver mine in the world and mint millions of pesos de ocho (pieces of eight). These coins transform the global economy. They fill the treasure chests of pirates.
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Mankind The Story of All of Us volume 6
Description
Genghis Khan--the bloodiest warlord in history--sweeps south from Mongolia into China and creates a mighty empire. He leaves 40 million dead bodies in his wake. But a greater killer stalks Mankind--the Plague. Traveling along Mongol trade routes.
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Mankind The Story of All of Us volume 4
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When Rome is sacked by barbarians, Europe enters a Dark Age. But from the fringes of the old empire, two new forces remake the world. The Arabs, funded by a gold rush, unite under the banner of Islam.
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Mankind The Story of All of Us volume 7
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The Aztecs have built a mighty empire that dominates Central America. But it will be destroyed because of a domino effect. 7,000 miles away in modern-day Turkey, the great trading center of Constantinople is overrun by an Islamic army.
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Mankind Decoded volume 3
Description
The world is linked like never before. Modern transport and communications have resulted in a world that is wealthier, healthier, more mobile and better informed than ever before.
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Mankind Decoded volume 1
Description
When ordinary people desire the luxuries of the rich, ingenuity and innovation come together to take history in a new direction. From the obsession with silk to the fall of Constantinople, the discovery of the Americas.
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Mankind The Story of All of Us volume 5
Description
Genghis Khan--the bloodiest warlord in history--sweeps south from Mongolia into China and creates a mighty empire.
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Mankind Decoded volume 4
Description
Over millions of years, mankind has evolved from a puny, vulnerable creature to become a dominant force on the planet. Occasionally the planet bites back--with terrifying consequences that have shaped our evolution.
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Mankind The Story of All of Us volume 2
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A mysterious band of pirates plunders the Mediterranean coast--leaving destruction in its wake. Empires fall, but out of the chaos, we discover iron. Armed with this wonder metal, ordinary folk can overthrow tyrants and build a new world order.
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Mankind Decoded volume 7
Description
Five thousand years ago, man first throws a handful of rocks into a campfire and stumbles upon a discovery that changes the world: Metal. Copper, Tin and Bronze empower the ancient world and allow empires to expand, armed with sharp, hard-wearing weapons.
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Mankind Decoded volume 12
Description
No prizes for second place! In this episode, we learn how being the fastest enabled empires to be born and capitalism to thrive.