“The food-production revolution turns out to be a slow evolution, a long period of experimentation rather than a sudden explosion.”

—  Peter Farb

Man's Rise to Civilization (1968)
Context: Social scientists of the past spoke glibly of an "agricultural revolution," a time during which human populations suddenly soared, cities were founded, and many trappings of civilization made their appearance.... The food-production revolution turns out to be a slow evolution, a long period of experimentation rather than a sudden explosion.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "The food-production revolution turns out to be a slow evolution, a long period of experimentation rather than a sudden …" by Peter Farb?
Peter Farb photo
Peter Farb 92
American academic and writer 1929–1980

Related quotes

Béla Bartók photo

“In art there are only fast or slow developments. Essentially it is a matter of evolution, not revolution.”

Béla Bartók (1881–1945) Hungarian composer and pianist

As quoted in The Enjoyment of Music : An Introduction to Perceptive Listening‎ (1955) by Joseph Machlis; also The Vintage Guide to Classical Music (1992) by Jan Swafford

Wendell Berry photo

“Anybody interested in solving, rather than profiting from, the problems of food production and distribution will see that in the long run the safest food supply is a local food supply, not a supply that is dependent on a global economy. Nations and regions within nations must be left free — and should be encouraged — to develop the local food economies that best suit local needs and local conditions.”

Wendell Berry (1934) author

"A Bad Big Idea"
Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community (1993)

Robert T. Kiyosaki photo

“As a process, choosing for myself turned out to be much more valuable in the long run, rather than simply accepting or rejecting a single point of view.”

Robert T. Kiyosaki (1947) American finance author , investor

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money-That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!

“Philosophizing is a process of making sense out of experience, rather than adding to experience itself, as factual learning and experimental investigation do.”

Susanne K. Langer (1895–1985) American philosopher

Source: Philosophical Sketches (1962), Ch. 9, p. 160

“It is probable that the future will be more limited by the slow evolution of the human animal and the corresponding human laws, social institutions, and organizations than it will be by the rapid evolution of technology.”

Richard Hamming (1915–1998) American mathematician and information theorist

The Art of Doing Science and Engineering: Learning to Learn (1991)

“The contingency of history (both for life in general and for the cultures of Homo sapiens) and human free will (in the factual rather than theological sense) are conjoined concepts, and no better evidence can be produced than the “experimental” production of markedly different solutions in identical environments.”

Stephen Jay Gould book Eight Little Piggies

"Unenchanted Evening", p. 29
Eight Little Piggies (1993)

Jef Raskin photo

“In looking back at this turn-of-the-century period, the rise of a worldwide network will be seen as the most significant part of the computer revolution.”

Jef Raskin (1943–2005) American computer scientist

Interview in The Guardian (21 October 2004)
Context: I am only a footnote, but proud of the footnote I have become. My subsequent work — on eliciting principles and developing the theory of interface design, so that many people will be able to do what I did — is probably also footnote-worthy. In looking back at this turn-of-the-century period, the rise of a worldwide network will be seen as the most significant part of the computer revolution.

Cory Doctorow photo

“Open platforms and experimental amateurs … eventually beat out the spendy, slick pros. … Relying on incumbents to produce your revolutions is not a good strategy. They're apt to take all the stuff that makes their products great and try to use technology to charge you extra for it, or prohibit it altogether.”

Cory Doctorow (1971) Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author

"Why I won't buy an iPad (and think you shouldn't, either)" on BoingBoing (2 April 2010) http://boingboing.net/2010/04/02/why-i-wont-buy-an-ipad-and-think-yo.html

Jerzy Vetulani photo

“As a result of brain evolution, humans managed to develop much more efficient and less risky forms of gaining food than most other carnivorous and omnivorous terrestrial mammals. We do not need now, like our distant ancestors, to go through long periods on the verge of hunger and use all suitable occasions for immoderate consumption "in reserve." Today, in a civilized world, thanks to effective production, we have enough food, and we could consume it rationally, in quantities necessary for efficient functioning. But after our ancestors, we have a deeply ingrained habit of "gorging", especially if the food is attractive. Together with prosperity, the world has overcome an epidemic of obesity and overweight.”

Jerzy Vetulani (1936–2017) Polish scientist

Vetulani, Jerzy (18 February 2013): Stary tata, tłusty syn http://vetulani.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/stary-tata-tlusty-syn/. Vetulani.wordpress.com (in Polish).

Rosa Luxemburg photo

“Every legal constitution is the product of a revolution. In the history of classes, revolution is the act of political creation, while legislation is the political expression of the life of a society that has already come into being. Work for reform does not contain its own force independent from revolution. During every historic period, work for reforms is carried on only in the direction given to it by the impetus of the last revolution and continues as long as the impulsion from the last revolution continues to make itself felt. Or, to put it more concretely, in each historic period work for reforms is carried on only in the framework of the social form created by the last revolution. Here is the kernel of the problem.”

Rosa Luxemburg (1871–1919) Polish Marxist theorist, socialist philosopher, and revolutionary

Source: Reform or Revolution (1899), Ch. 8

Related topics