Origins
How Earth's History Shaped Human History
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 30 days of Premium Plus free
Buy Now for $32.62
-
Narrated by:
-
John Sackville
-
Written by:
-
Lewis Dartnell
About this listen
When we talk about human history, we often focus on great leaders, population forces, and decisive wars. But how has the earth itself determined our destiny? Our planet wobbles, driving changes in climate that forced the transition from nomadism to farming. Mountainous terrain led to the development of democracy in Greece. Atmospheric circulation patterns later on shaped the progression of global exploration, colonization, and trade. Even today, voting behavior in the south-east United States ultimately follows the underlying pattern of 75 million-year-old sediments from an ancient sea. Everywhere is the deep imprint of the planetary on the human.
From the cultivation of the first crops to the founding of modern states, Origins reveals the breathtaking impact of the earth beneath our feet on the shape of our human civilizations.
You may also enjoy...
-
A Brief History of Earth
- Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters
- Written by: Andrew H. Knoll
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall9
-
Performance9
-
Story9
How well do you know the ground beneath your feet? A primer for every Earth resident, by Harvard’s acclaimed geologist. “A sublime chronicle of our planet."" –Booklist, STARRED review Odds are, where you’re standing was once cooking under a roiling sea of lava, crushed by a towering...
-
-
More biological than I thought it would be
- By Paul R. on 2024-02-25
Written by: Andrew H. Knoll
-
The Greeks
- A Global History
- Written by: Roderick Beaton
- Narrated by: Anna Crowe
- Length: 16 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall6
-
Performance6
-
Story6
A sweeping history of the Greeks, from the Bronze Age to today More than two thousand years ago, the Greek city-states, led by Athens and Sparta, laid the foundation for much of modern science, the arts, politics, and law. But the influence of the Greeks did not end with the rise and fall of...
-
-
A good overview
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-02-25
Written by: Roderick Beaton
-
New York 2140
- Written by: Kim Stanley Robinson
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren, Robin Miles, Peter Ganim, and others
- Length: 22 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall28
-
Performance25
-
Story25
New York Times bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson returns with a bold and brilliant vision of New York City in the next century. As the sea levels rose, every street became a canal. Every skyscraper an island. For the residents of one apartment building in Madison Square, however, New York...
-
-
Meh
- By Irving Cornejo on 2017-11-11
Written by: Kim Stanley Robinson
-
Proto
- How One Ancient Language Went Global
- Written by: Laura Spinney
- Narrated by: Emma Spurgin-Hussey
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall8
-
Performance6
-
Story6
Daughter. Duhitár-. Dustr. Dukte. Listen to these English, Sanskrit, Armenian and Lithuanian words, all meaning the same thing, and you hear echoes of one of history’s most unlikely journeys. All four languages—along with hundreds of others, from French and Gaelic, to Persian and Polish—trace their origins to an ancient tongue spoken as the last ice age receded. This language, which we call Proto-Indo-European, was born between Europe and Asia and exploded out of its cradle, fragmenting as it spread east and west.
-
-
Well-read, interesting and respectful
- By Jj on 2025-05-27
Written by: Laura Spinney
-
Aurora
- Written by: Kim Stanley Robinson
- Narrated by: Ali Ahn
- Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall49
-
Performance39
-
Story39
A major new novel from one of science fiction's most powerful voices, Aurora tells the incredible story of our first voyage beyond the solar system. Brilliantly imagined and beautifully told, it is the work of a writer at the height of his powers. Our voyage from Earth began generations ago. Now...
-
-
Magnificent!
- By Steven Freygood on 2023-06-16
Written by: Kim Stanley Robinson
-
Existentialism and the Authentic Life
- Written by: Skye C. Cleary, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Skye C. Cleary
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5
-
Performance4
-
Story4
In the 24 fascinating lectures of Existentialism and the Authentic Life, Professor Skye C. Cleary will lead you through the writings of many existentialists to help you understand how they addressed the biggest of all questions. Writing about love, death, sex, war, plagues, intrigue, murder, deception, and more, these thinkers guide you toward living an authentic and meaningful life in a world that often seems absurd.
-
-
Excellent course on Existentialism
- By Nicolas Velasquez on 2024-03-30
Written by: Skye C. Cleary, and others
-
A Brief History of Earth
- Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters
- Written by: Andrew H. Knoll
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall9
-
Performance9
-
Story9
How well do you know the ground beneath your feet? A primer for every Earth resident, by Harvard’s acclaimed geologist. “A sublime chronicle of our planet."" –Booklist, STARRED review Odds are, where you’re standing was once cooking under a roiling sea of lava, crushed by a towering...
-
-
More biological than I thought it would be
- By Paul R. on 2024-02-25
Written by: Andrew H. Knoll
-
The Greeks
- A Global History
- Written by: Roderick Beaton
- Narrated by: Anna Crowe
- Length: 16 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall6
-
Performance6
-
Story6
A sweeping history of the Greeks, from the Bronze Age to today More than two thousand years ago, the Greek city-states, led by Athens and Sparta, laid the foundation for much of modern science, the arts, politics, and law. But the influence of the Greeks did not end with the rise and fall of...
-
-
A good overview
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-02-25
Written by: Roderick Beaton
-
New York 2140
- Written by: Kim Stanley Robinson
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren, Robin Miles, Peter Ganim, and others
- Length: 22 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall28
-
Performance25
-
Story25
New York Times bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson returns with a bold and brilliant vision of New York City in the next century. As the sea levels rose, every street became a canal. Every skyscraper an island. For the residents of one apartment building in Madison Square, however, New York...
-
-
Meh
- By Irving Cornejo on 2017-11-11
Written by: Kim Stanley Robinson
-
Proto
- How One Ancient Language Went Global
- Written by: Laura Spinney
- Narrated by: Emma Spurgin-Hussey
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall8
-
Performance6
-
Story6
Daughter. Duhitár-. Dustr. Dukte. Listen to these English, Sanskrit, Armenian and Lithuanian words, all meaning the same thing, and you hear echoes of one of history’s most unlikely journeys. All four languages—along with hundreds of others, from French and Gaelic, to Persian and Polish—trace their origins to an ancient tongue spoken as the last ice age receded. This language, which we call Proto-Indo-European, was born between Europe and Asia and exploded out of its cradle, fragmenting as it spread east and west.
-
-
Well-read, interesting and respectful
- By Jj on 2025-05-27
Written by: Laura Spinney
-
Aurora
- Written by: Kim Stanley Robinson
- Narrated by: Ali Ahn
- Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall49
-
Performance39
-
Story39
A major new novel from one of science fiction's most powerful voices, Aurora tells the incredible story of our first voyage beyond the solar system. Brilliantly imagined and beautifully told, it is the work of a writer at the height of his powers. Our voyage from Earth began generations ago. Now...
-
-
Magnificent!
- By Steven Freygood on 2023-06-16
Written by: Kim Stanley Robinson
-
Existentialism and the Authentic Life
- Written by: Skye C. Cleary, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Skye C. Cleary
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5
-
Performance4
-
Story4
In the 24 fascinating lectures of Existentialism and the Authentic Life, Professor Skye C. Cleary will lead you through the writings of many existentialists to help you understand how they addressed the biggest of all questions. Writing about love, death, sex, war, plagues, intrigue, murder, deception, and more, these thinkers guide you toward living an authentic and meaningful life in a world that often seems absurd.
-
-
Excellent course on Existentialism
- By Nicolas Velasquez on 2024-03-30
Written by: Skye C. Cleary, and others
-
A Natural History of Empty Lots
- Field Notes from Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys, and Other Wild Places
- Written by: Christopher Brown
- Narrated by: Christopher Brown
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall1
-
Performance1
-
Story1
An "instant classic", this genre-bending blend of naturalism, memoir, and social manifesto is a fascinating study for rewilding the city, the self, and society (Jeff VanderMeer, New York Times bestselling author). During the real estate crash of the late 2000s, Christopher Brown purchased an...
Written by: Christopher Brown
-
Into the Unknown
- The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos
- Written by: Kelsey Johnson
- Narrated by: Kelsey Johnson
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3
-
Performance2
-
Story2
A leading astronomer and gifted teacher takes readers on a wondrous tour of how science confronts the big questions—about the universe’s origins, destiny, and fundamental nature—and how it contends with the limits of our knowledge Humans have learned a lot about the world around us and the...
-
-
A surprisingly touching and inspiring listen.
- By unRheal on 2025-06-23
Written by: Kelsey Johnson
-
Peak Human
- What We Can Learn from History’s Greatest Civilizations
- Written by: Johan Norberg
- Narrated by: Andrew Cullum
- Length: 15 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall2
-
Performance2
-
Story2
All golden ages are marked by periods of spectacular cultural flourishing, scientific exploration, technological achievement and economic growth; yet no two are the same. Their beliefs, societies and place in the wider world all vary. Despite this, all previous golden ages have ended, whether it be because of external pressures or internal fracturing; too much hubris or too little wariness.
Written by: Johan Norberg
-
Changing Body Composition Through Diet and Exercise
- Written by: Michael Ormsbee, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Michael Ormsbee
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall111
-
Performance99
-
Story99
Changing Body Composition Through Diet and Exercise presents the latest scientific research about changing your body composition, along with diet and exercise recommendations in incremental steps that men and women of all ages and fitness levels can follow. Led by Professor Michael Ormsbee, Assistant Professor and Interim Director of the Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine, you will gain access to cutting-edge research that demonstrates what does - and doesn’t - work.
-
-
great book with lot of information.
- By Rajesh on 2019-07-15
Written by: Michael Ormsbee, and others
-
Screenwriting 101: Mastering the Art of Story
- Written by: Angus Fletcher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Angus Fletcher
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall40
-
Performance36
-
Story35
Whether you want to write your own scripts or simply gain a deeper appreciation for the great stories you see unfold on the screen, Professor Angus Fletcher is here to show you the way in Screenwriting 101: Mastering the Art of Story. Professor Fletcher, Professor of English and Film at The Ohio State University, brings both a personal and scholarly perspective to this craft. As a screenwriter himself, he has experienced the ins and outs of the process first-hand.
-
-
Not practical
- By Marie-Louise on 2019-01-03
Written by: Angus Fletcher, and others
-
Fall of Civilizations
- Stories of Greatness and Decline
- Written by: Paul Cooper
- Narrated by: Paul Cooper
- Length: 19 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall16
-
Performance14
-
Story14
"A treasure trove of myths and terror… Atmospheric as hell… Immersive."-The Times Based on the podcast with over one hundred million downloads, Fall of Civilizations brilliantly explores how a range of ancient societies rose to power and sophistication, and how they tipped over into collapse...
-
-
fascinating listen
- By Anonymous on 2025-10-05
Written by: Paul Cooper
What the critics say
Requisite to just about every subject!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Fav of year
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very good overview of geography and humanity
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Life and earth are deeply interconnected
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I just keep hoping to hear something with more paradigm-shifting ideas (like the first time I read Jared Diamond). Which I think is an unrealistic expectation to put on this book.
Having said that, it did send me down a wiki rabbit hole over the concept of axial presession - that in 12,000 years time summer in the northern hemisphere will be in November December!
A Solid Read, But No New Paradigm
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.