So, as part of my Sustainability and Resilience in History course, we have to read two books:
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jarrod Diamond and Something New Under the Sun by John Robert McNeill.
While I am not a fan of teachers requiring certain books to be read as part of their coursework, I finally figured out the best way to do so...supplemental video resources. Namely, CrashCourse World History 2 and Big History and The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of The World by Niall Ferguson.
After reading the various chapters and then watching corresponding videos, I find, at least for me, that the ideas posed in the books make more sense. I also find that the videos help to offset some of the bias that is inherent in the books. I also read Thirst: For Water and Power in the Ancient World by Steven Mithen, but that was my choice for my paper. However, it would have been an excellent addition to the class's reading list. Michael Pollan, Douglas Rushkoff, and Joel Salatin would have done very well also, but for different reasons.
Here's the thing, as a student of well...kinda everything...saying anything happened because of one thing is a problematic statement. As an interconnected society (human, in this case) everything is connected. Soil, food, culture, war, city states, literature, fashion...everything. Oftentimes to see thus, we need to look at the bigger picture, regardless if we agree with it or if it makes us feel uncomfortable. That is the true nature of Anthropology and I am glad my undergraduate work gave me that as a foundation, because I find that I can see more connections (and freak out less when I see them) than many of my classmates and even some of my teachers. I find that in a University filled with students from around the world (1/4 of all students are not from the Netherlands) I am inherently glad of my diverse educational and personal experiences. I understand that considering I'm typically 10-15 years older than many of them *shut up* I have more life experience, but I didn't think that I would have more experience in the academic areas or the practical experience of agriculture and history. Having a personal motivation has helped greatly-I enjoy reading and learning new things-but I didn't think all those agricultural and history shows would come in so handy!
So here is a list of videos you should watch if interested in the tiniest in agriculture, history, economics, societal structures, or science. Broad, but completely worth it. Just remember to always ask questions and look at things holistically, not everyone is right about everything, it is the discussions that these provoke that will lend to the greatest knowledge.
All of the above mentioned videos plus (I'm sure I'll think of more):
Food Inc.
Crude
Folks this ain't normal
Tales from the Cheese Cave
Tales of the Green Valley
Victorian Farm
Edwardian Farm
Wartime Farm
Tudor Monastery Farm
Victorian Pharmacy
Melodysheep Symphony of Science
Wonders of the Solar System
Wonders of the Universe
Wonders of Life
A night with the stars
Frontier House
Gin no Saji
Civilization
SciShow:
Japan's Ominous Dancing Cats and the Disaster That Followed (Minamata, Japan)
The Fog That Killed 12,000 People (London, UK)Obviously this is not an all inclusive list, nor is it perfect. It is a starting point and one I hope many people will try. There are so many books and lectures and museums that I have attended that have shaped the information I use to formulate my ideas and perceptions, but the main point is to keep an open mind. I don't know how they farmed in Sub-Saharan Africa in 1243. It's not something in my scope of reference, but it may be for someone else, and the sharing of their knowledge will assist me in making connections in the future. I hope it does for you as well.
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