Collaborators through Time: How Humans Partnered with Nature, Technology, and Each Other
R. Alexander Bentley · Michael J. O'Brien
Jan 2026 · Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Ebook
160
Pages
infoThis book will become available on January 8, 2026. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this ebook
Spanning 2 million years, this book examines how humans partnered with nature, technology, and each other to shape their world, from evolutionary origins and ancient innovations to the rise of artificial intelligence.
This book examines how humans collaborated with other entities, expanding in scale from individuals to other species of Homo, and further to the formation of groups, interactions with organisms, connections with past generations, and the transformative role of technology. Through dozens of vivid examples –from the lives of Neanderthals to the origins of agriculture, the impact of ancient diseases, the practices of shamans, Bronze Age innovations, global trade routes, and the products of the world's first cities – this narrative illuminates the intricate web of partnerships that defined human history. The final chapter delves into artificial intelligence, illustrating how its evolution mirrors the co-evolution of humans with technologies.
AI's rapid development of learning and collaborative abilities echoes humanity's own adaptive journey, albeit at an accelerated pace. Richly illustrated with over 50 full-color figures, this book offers a visually engaging and intellectually stimulating journey through the partnerships that have shaped our world, from the dawn of prehistory to the cutting edge of AI.
This book examines how humans collaborated with other entities, expanding in scale from individuals to other species of Homo, and further to the formation of groups, interactions with organisms, connections with past generations, and the transformative role of technology. Through dozens of vivid examples –from the lives of Neanderthals to the origins of agriculture, the impact of ancient diseases, the practices of shamans, Bronze Age innovations, global trade routes, and the products of the world's first cities – this narrative illuminates the intricate web of partnerships that defined human history. The final chapter delves into artificial intelligence, illustrating how its evolution mirrors the co-evolution of humans with technologies.
AI's rapid development of learning and collaborative abilities echoes humanity's own adaptive journey, albeit at an accelerated pace. Richly illustrated with over 50 full-color figures, this book offers a visually engaging and intellectually stimulating journey through the partnerships that have shaped our world, from the dawn of prehistory to the cutting edge of AI.
About the author
Alex Bentley is a professor of anthropology and director of the Computational Social Sciences program at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, USA. He earned his PhD from the University of Wisconsin and spent much of his career in the United Kingdom, holding academic positions at University College London, Durham University, and the University of Bristol. Bentley specializes in computational social science and the archaeology of early Neolithic societies, exploring the deep past and near future of cultural evolution.
Michael J. O'Brien is a professor of history and psychology at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, USA. He received his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin and previously served as dean of the College of Arts and Science and professor of anthropology at the University of Missouri. O'Brien's research focuses on applying evolutionary theory and methods to solve archaeological problems. He is a pioneer in the use of phylogenetic methods in archaeology and the application of niche construction theory to understanding human behavior.
Michael J. O'Brien is a professor of history and psychology at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, USA. He received his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin and previously served as dean of the College of Arts and Science and professor of anthropology at the University of Missouri. O'Brien's research focuses on applying evolutionary theory and methods to solve archaeological problems. He is a pioneer in the use of phylogenetic methods in archaeology and the application of niche construction theory to understanding human behavior.
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