Overview of Jerry D. Moore's The Prehistory of Home

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“Various animals build shelters but only humans built homes. (Pg. 1)” The word home evokes so many emotions and mental image of past and future. At the end of the day there is no greater comfort then going home. Yet in our daily hustle and bustle and hectic schedule we seldom take time to appreciate the most age old technology that keep us safe and provide comfort. From the basic shelter and cave dwelling of the earliest humans to the modern concrete jungle of the present, humans have move past the simple shelter. Technology has allowed us to build modern homes in various shapes and sizes but this technology follows thousands of years of footstep. The author did not just catalog different structures and domicile of human history but told a story of what these structure means to us. Moore starts off on a dig site searching for archaic structures. Moore explains how humans just don’t build shelter like most animals, human homes signifies social status, comfort, shelter and creativity. Moore uses the famous multimillion dollar house of Aaron Spelling in Hollywood as an example of how extravagant our humble dwelling can be. Human homes are different shapes and sizes and often build with different material and standard based on geographical location. I believe A Prehistory of Homes is a book about the history of technology because it is written about one of the most essential invention of human evolution. Human went from caves to build our own shelter. It allowed us to be mobile and become a foraging creature. The author addresses the most commonly shared interest and provides knowledge, history and relation to past and future of our homes.
I like to learn history with a story telling format and the author has captured it well. Moore...

... middle of paper ...

...et, a social status and a link to our past. The Prehistory of home read like a narrative to human history and not just about the houses we built throughout time. As I read “The Prehistory of Home” I realized I was reading the history and evolution of humans in the last million years. Homes can mean more than increased storage: human shelters, Social status or a place to hang. It can have richly diverse names such as shack, kraal, cabin, chalet, igloo, shanty, condo and many more. As I read through the 12 chapters of this amazing book I feel more connected to my past and found new respect for the human race. As a home owner myself I feel that the first brick of my home was laid long before my time and what I have achieved today is but a mere footstep on our journey of life.
Work Cited:
Jerry D. Moore (2012), The Prehistory of Home, University of California Press.

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