Why Did the Chicken Cross the World? : The Epic Saga of the Bird That Powers Civilization

"From ancient empires to modern economics, veteran journalist Andrew Lawler delivers a sweeping history of the animal that has been most crucial to the spread of civilization across the globe--the chicken. Queen Victoria was obsessed with it. Socrates' last words were about it. Charles Darwin and Louis Pasteur made their scientific breakthroughs using it. Catholic popes, African shamans, Chinese philosophers, and Muslim mystics praised it. Throughout the history of civilization, humans have embraced it in every form imaginable--as a messenger of the gods, powerful sex symbol, gambling aid, emblem of resurrection, all-purpose medicine, handy research tool, inspiration for bravery, epitome of evil, and, of course, as the star of the world's most famous joke. In Why Did the Chicken Cross the World?, science writer Andrew Lawler takes us on an adventure from prehistory to the modern era with a fascinating account of the partnership between human and chicken (the most successful of all cross-species relationships). Beginning with the recent discovery in Montana that the chicken's unlikely ancestor is T. rex, this book builds on Lawler's popular Smithsonian cover article, How the Chicken Conquered the World to track the chicken from its original domestication in the jungles of Southeast Asia some 10,000 years ago to postwar America, where it became the most engineered of animals, to the uncertain future of what is now humanity's single most important source of protein. In a masterful combination of historical sleuthing and journalistic exploration on four continents, Lawler reframes the way we feel and think about our most important animal partner--and, by extension, all domesticated animals, and even nature itself. Lawler's narrative reveals the secrets behind the chicken's transformation from a shy jungle bird into an animal of astonishing versatility, capable of serving our species' changing needs. For no other siren has called humans to rise, shine, and prosper quite like the rooster's cry: Cock-a-doodle-doo!"-- Provided by publisher Veteran journalist Andrew Lawler delivers a "fascinating and delightful...globetrotting tour" ( Wall Street Journal ) with the animal that has been most crucial to the spread of civilization—the chicken. In a masterful combination of historical sleuthing and journalistic adventure, veteran reporter Andrew Lawler "opens a window on civilization, evolution, capitalism, and ethics" ( New York ) with a fascinating account of the most successful of all cross-species relationships—the partnership between human and chicken. This "splendid book full of obsessive travel and research in history" ( Kirkus Reviews ) explores how people through the ages embraced the chicken as a messenger of the gods, an all-purpose medicine, an emblem of resurrection, a powerful sex symbol, a gambling aid, a handy research tool, an inspiration for bravery, the epitome of evil, and, of course, the star of the world's most famous joke. Queen Victoria was obsessed with the chicken. Socrates's last words embraced it. Charles Darwin and Louis Pasteur used it for scientific breakthroughs. Religious leaders of all stripes have praised it. Now neuroscientists are uncovering signs of a deep intelligence that offers insights into human behavior. Trekking from the jungles of southeast Asia through the Middle East and beyond, Lawler discovers the secrets behind the fowl's transformation from a shy, wild bird into an animal of astonishing versatility, capable of serving our species' changing needs more than the horse, cow, or dog. The natural history of the chicken, and its role in entertainment, food history, and food politics, as well as the debate raging over animal welfare, comes to light in this "witty, conversational" ( Booklist ) volume. From ancient empires to modern economics, science reporter Andrew Lawler delivers a sweeping history of the animal that has been most crucial to the spread of civilization across the globe -- the chicken. Queen Victoria was obsessed with it. Socrates' last words were about it. Charles Darwin and Louis Pasteur made their scientific breakthroughs using it. Catholic popes, African shamans, Chinese philosophers, and Muslim mystics praised it. Throughout the history of civilization, humans have embraced it in every form imaginable -- as a messenger of the gods, powerful sex symbol, gambling aid, emblem of resurrection, all-purpose medicine, handy research tool, inspiration for bravery, epitome of evil, and, of course, as the star of the world's most famous joke. Beginning with the recent discovery in Montana that the chicken's unlikely ancestor is T. rex, this book tracks the chicken from its original domestication in the jungles of Southeast Asia some 10,000 years ago to postwar America, where it became the most engineered of animals, to the uncertain future of what is now humanity's single most important source of protein. In a combination of historical sleuthing and journalistic exploration on four continents, Lawler reframes the way we feel and think about our most important animal partner -- and, by extension, all domesticated animals, and even nature itself. Lawler's narrative reveals the secrets behind the chicken's transformation from a shy jungle bird into an animal of astonishing versatility, capable of serving our species' changing needs Throughout The History Of Civilization, Humans Have Embraced It In Every Form Imaginable--as A Messenger Of The Gods, Powerful Sex Symbol, Gambling Aid, Emblem Of Resurrection, All-purpose Medicine, Handy Research Tool, Inspiration For Bravery, Epitome Of Evil, And, Of Course, As The Star Of The World's Most Famous Joke. In [this Book], Science Writer Andrew Lawler Takes Us On An Adventure From Prehistory To The Modern Era With A Fascinating Account Of The Partnership Between Human And Chicken--the Most Successful Of All Cross-species Relationships-- 1. Nature's Mr. Potato Head -- 2. The Carnelian Beard -- 3. The Healing Clutch -- 4. Essential Gear -- 5. Thrilla In Manila -- 6. Giants Upon The Scene -- 7. The Harlequin's Sword -- 8. The Little King -- 9. Feeding Babalu -- 10. Sweater Girls Of The Barnyard -- 11. Gallus Archipelago -- 12. The Intuitive Physicist -- 13. A Last Cause. Andrew Lawler. December 2014--title Page Verso. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 267-311) And Index.