Невидимые творцы истории: Как микробы разрушали империи и создавали новый мир

Kto tvorit istorii͡u? Vozmozhno, praviteli pishut ee svoimi ukazami i reformami ili voenachalʹniki - voennymi triumfami? Ili vazhnee vsego idei velikikh mysliteleĭ, bessmertnye shedevry, izobretenii͡a i nauchnye otkrytii͡a? A chto, esli sudʹbu t͡sivilizat͡siĭ opredeli͡ai͡ut zhivye organizmy, nastolʹko malenʹkie, chto chelovek smog rassmotretʹ ikh sovsem nedavno? Uchenyĭ, spet͡sialist po obshchestvennomu zdravookhranenii͡u Dzhonatan Kennedi predlagaet smotretʹ na istorii͡u Homo Sapiens v mikroskop. Opirai͡asʹ na otkrytii͡a genetiki, arkheologii, ėpidemiologii, ėkonomiki i sot͡siologii, v svoeĭ knige on pokazyvaet, kak mikroby meni͡ali balans sil na planete. Ospa, a ne konkistadory, zavoevala imperii at͡stekov i inkov. Chernai͡a smertʹ, vykosiv polovinu Evropy, pokhoronila feodalizm, a mali͡arii͡a i zheltai͡a likhoradka postavili krest na planakh Napoleona v Amerike. Esli vy gotovy vzgli͡anutʹ na izvestnye istoricheskie sobytii͡a pod novym uglom, prochitaĭte ėtu zakhvatyvai͡ushchui͡u knigu.

Who makes history? Perhaps the rulers write it with their decrees and reforms, or the military leaders with their military triumphs? Or are the ideas of great thinkers, immortal masterpieces, inventions and scientific discoveries most important? But what if the fate of civilizations is determined by living organisms so small that humans have only recently been able to examine them? Public health scientist Jonathan Kennedy suggests looking at the history of Homo Sapiens through a microscope. Drawing on the discoveries of genetics, archaeology, epidemiology, economics, and sociology, in his book he shows how microbes have changed the balance of power on the planet. Smallpox, not the conquistadors, conquered the Aztec and Inca empires. The Black Death wiped out half of Europe, buried feudalism, and malaria and yellow fever put an end to Napoleon's plans in America. If you are ready to look at famous historical events from a new angle, read this fascinating book.