Human Frontiers Environments and Disease : Past Patterns, Uncertain Futures

This compelling account charts the relentless trajectory of humankind, and its changing survival and disease patterns, across place and time from when our ancient ancestors roamed the African Savannah to today's populous, industrialised, globalising world. This expansion of human frontiers - geographic, climatic, cultural and technological - has encountered frequent setbacks from disease, famine and dwindling resources. The social and environmental transformations wrought by agrarianism, industrialisation, fertility control, social modernisation, urbanisation and mass consumption have profoundly affected patterns of health and disease. Today, as life expectancies rise, the planet's ecosystems are being damaged by the combined weight of population size and intensive economic activity. Global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion and loss of biodiversity pose large-scale hazards to human health and survival. Recognising this, can we achieve a transition to sustainability? This and other profound questions underlie this chronicle of expansive human activity, social change, environmental impact and their health consequences.

• Explores contemporary global environmental threats to human health and survival by examining the long history of environmental, social and cultural influences on human disease
• Relates patterns of disease, past and present, to the fascinating stories of human evolution, environmental change and societal development. Includes many case studies and anecdotes
• Contributes to the debate on how to develop an ecologically sustainable way of living