The tale of human odyssey [rare books] [hardcover]

The ascent of man so far has been impressive but not an assured phenomenon. It has also not been linear. In fact, it has typically happened in fits and starts, characterised by powerful leaps of imagination, punctuated by long periods of depressingly slow progress, almost bordering on stagnation. It has not always been progress either. Many periods have witnessed excruciatingly painful phases of misery, dark ages of ignorance, grinding decline and diminution.

Human nature is one of the contributory factors for this state of affairs: destructive competitiveness, shallow near-term bias, inability to take into account larger ramifications for some of the mindless human actions. Many of these, and more, have played their part.