The Origins of the New: Novelty and Innovation in the History of Life, Culture, and Technology

A visionary look at how novel attributes arise and become transformative innovations in nature, culture, and technology

The Origins of the New presents a revolutionary approach to evolutionary success in all realms of life. In this groundbreaking book, Douglas Erwin takes readers on a dazzling excursion across science and history to explore how evolution generates new and enduring features in biology, culture, and technology.

Erwin begins by tracing how thinkers from Darwin’s time to the pres...