Prehistoric life was not without serious dangers and disadvantages: many babies died in infancy; a broken bone, infected wound, snakebite, or difficult pregnancy could be life-threatening. Were these pre-civilized dangers more murderous than modern scourges such as car accidents, cancers, cardiovascular disease, and a technologically prolonged dying process? Ryan counters the idea that progress is inherently good, arguing that the "progress" defining our age is analogous to an advancing disease. He makes the claim that we should start looking backward to find our way into a better future. -- adapted from jacket