From Prey to Predator: An Evolutionary Tale of Hunting, Warfare, and Human Survival

By Josh Luberisse

"From Prey to Predator: An Evolutionary Tale of Hunting, Warfare, and Human Survival" is a riveting journey through time that marries anthropology, history, and survival science in a fresh and engaging way. Discover how the human species transformed from vulnerable prey into dominant predators, and explore the striking parallels between hunting and warfare as survival strategies.

This captivating narrative unveils the vital role of preparedness in human survival, demonstrating why hope alone is not a survival strategy. Drawing on the rich tapestry of our ancestral past, this book explores the timeless cycle of life and death, revealing how our place within this cycle has shaped our strategies for survival.

Perfect for history enthusiasts, survivalists, and anyone interested in human evolution, this book presents a thought-provoking examination of humanity's instinct for survival. Discover why physical fitness and mental toughness were – and remain – crucial for survival, and how community, adaptability, and innovation have played their parts in our survival story.

"From Prey to Predator" takes you on a thrilling journey from our humble origins to our place in the modern world, exploring how lessons from our past can guide our future. As we navigate the complexities of the 21st century, this book serves as a timely reminder of the resilience, ingenuity, and survival instinct that pulses through our veins. Dive into this intriguing exploration of human survival and uncover the story of humanity's relentless drive to survive and thrive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fortis Novum Mundum
• Release date: Jul 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798224955701

Josh Luberisse

Josh, a multifaceted entrepreneur and renowned author, has carved a niche for himself in the spheres of artificial intelligence, geopolitics, finance, and cybersecurity. With a myriad of authoritative books to his credit on these subjects, he is undeniably a luminary in the domain. Not just an author, Josh is also the charismatic host of "Innovate Now: The Pulse of Future Technologies," a groundbreaking podcast that unravels the intricacies of nascent technologies and the imminent future of innovation, accentuating on avant-garde progressions in AI, fintech, and quantum computing. His eclectic professional journey is an embodiment of diverse experiences. From serving at financial behemoths like Citi, Bank of America, BNY Mellon, Morgan Stanley, to JP Morgan Chase, his immersion in the financial industry is profound. His multilateral expertise as a licensed real estate agent, tax advisor, and a sagacious planner for retirement and estates accentuates the depth and breadth of his knowledge, enabling him to write with an unparalleled, informed perspective.  However, it's not just the financial world that has witnessed Josh's Midas touch. As an astute entrepreneur, Josh has birthed and nurtured several startups. His brainchild, Neuromorph Systems, stands as a testament to his vision. A future global tech titan, it specializes in data management, system integration, and artificial intelligence. With a mission to shield the pivotal systems of its global clientele and concurrently offer them unparalleled data management, visualization, and analysis capabilities. In the realm of venture capital, Josh's VC firm, Other People's Capital, emerges as a game-changer. Dedicated to bolstering founders with groundbreaking ideas, the company's expertise lies in fostering and propelling enterprises that have the potential to define entire categories. With a track record replete with highly successful exits, Other People's Capital has a legacy of identifying and nurturing businesses that ascend to industry leadership. Josh's journey, from his stint in the financial realm to his foray into the world of startups, underlines his unmatched expertise and vision. As a thought leader, seasoned practitioner, and an indomitable entrepreneur, his writings and ventures are not just about envisioning the future but also about shaping it.

Book preview

From Prey to Predator

An Evolutionary Tale of Hunting, Warfare, and Human Survival

Josh Luberisse

Fortis Novum Mundum

Copyright © 2023 Fortis Novum Mundum

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Cover design by: Fortis Novum Mundum

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1: Prehistoric Struggles: The Dawn of Human Survival Strategies

Chapter 2: The Art of Hunting – Sustenance and Skill

Chapter 3: The Emergence of Warfare – Power and Preservation

Chapter 4: The Common Thread - Death, the Father of Necessity

Chapter 5: From Prey to Predator - The Evolutionary Shift

Chapter 6: Tools of Life and Death - The Evolution of Weaponry

Chapter 7: Strategic and Tactical Parallels in Hunting and Warfare

Chapter 8: Cultural Impacts of Hunting and Warfare on Societies

Chapter 9: Hope versus Action - The Reality of Survival

Chapter 10: Lessons from the Past - Applying Ancestral Wisdom to Modern Survival

Conclusion

Books By This Author

Preface

Since the dawn of our species, humans have grappled with an essential, unyielding conundrum: survival. It is a universal truth that has shaped our evolution, influenced our behaviors, and birthed our civilizations. Survival is not merely a human endeavor; it is an instinct shared by all living beings. Yet, what sets us apart is our unique ability to strategize, innovate, and adapt. This book, From Prey to Predator: An Evolutionary Tale of Hunting, Warfare, and Human Survival, explores this remarkable journey.

From Prey to Predator traces our transformation from vulnerable prey into dominant predators, from ancient hunters who respected the beasts they pursued to modern humans standing at the pinnacle of the food chain. This shift, rooted in our innate drive to survive, has influenced every aspect of our lives.

However, our story of survival is not just about physical evolution; it is a narrative of intellectual and social adaptation as well. As we mastered the art of survival, we learned to cooperate, strategize, and prepare. We discovered that survival was not only about confronting threats as they arose, but also about anticipating and preparing for them. This notion of preparedness became a critical factor in our survival toolkit, transforming hope into action.

Throughout this exploration, you will uncover the intricate links between hunting and warfare, both tools of survival that share a common root: death. Herein, we delve into this primal connection, looking at how the need to kill for sustenance or defense has profoundly shaped human societies. You will explore how the tools and strategies crafted to confront, delay, and comprehend death have continued to evolve, leaving an indelible imprint on our collective psyche.

From Prey to Predator does not shy away from examining the darker aspects of our survival journey—conflict, struggle, and death. Instead, it embraces them, for they are as much a part of our narrative as innovation, community, and resilience.

As you journey through these pages, you will gain an appreciation of our place within the eternal cycle of life and death, and how this understanding can guide our actions as we confront the challenges of the 21st century. The lessons we've gleaned from our ancestors, borne from millennia of evolution, trial, and error, can light our way as we navigate an increasingly complex world.

This book is an invitation to reflect on our journey, understand our past, and envision our future. It is an exploration of our remarkable resilience, our creative ingenuity, and our unyielding will to survive. As we face an uncertain future, these lessons from our past will serve as a compass, guiding our way forward.

As we journey from prey to predator, from past to present, and from life to death, I hope this book will not only inform but also inspire. Survival, after all, is not just about persistence—it is about thriving despite the odds. And if our history is any indication, it is a journey we are well-equipped to continue.

Welcome to From Prey to Predator: An Evolutionary Tale of Hunting, Warfare, and Human Survival. I hope you enjoy the journey.

Introduction

The Inescapable Dichotomy of Life and Death

Even a hare, the weakest of animals, fights when cornered, Aeschylus, the father of tragedy, reminds us in his play, The Libation Bearers. From our earliest ancestors who grappled with nature's raw hostility, to the modern-day military strategist contemplating a world of cyber threats and nuclear potential, survival has not been a product of wishful thinking but the result of skillful adaptation and decisive action in the face of the unrelenting duality of life and death.

The historical tapestry of human survival, both personal and societal, has been woven not through passive optimism, but through active, unflinching engagement with the reality of our existence, an existence predicated on a stark dichotomy: life or death.

To begin understanding this dichotomy, we must retrace our steps back to the origins of our species. Picture our ancestors in the prehistoric era. For them, survival wasn't merely a concept but a constant, tangible struggle against an untamed world fraught with danger. Their lives, and subsequently ours, depended not on hope alone, but on their ability to hunt for food and defend their tribe against external threats.

These two fundamental aspects of survival, hunting and warfare, are intertwined. They are two faces of the same coin, born out of necessity and hardship, cradled by the same cruel, unyielding father: Death. Hunting meant life through the death of other creatures. Warfare, a grim dance with death itself, promised life through the defeat of one's enemies. Through their primal experiences, our ancestors understood the truth captured centuries later by Roman poet, Virgil: Death twitches my ear. 'Live,' he says. 'I am coming.'

As we traverse the epochs, from spear-wielding hunters of the Stone Age to the drone-commanding strategists of the modern era, this narrative remains consistent. The tools have evolved, but the reasons to be proficient in their use have not. Hunting and warfare have, and will always be, grim reminders of our fragile existence and the lengths we must go to preserve it.

Pliny the Elder, in his Natural History, wrote: Life is warfare, and a journey far from home. We remain travelers navigating the battlefield of existence, armed with the lessons from our history, ever-aware of the inescapable dichotomy of life and death.

This book aims to explore that dichotomy, the historical journey of human survival from prey to predator, the interconnections between hunting and warfare, and the enduring relevance of these dynamics in our modern world. It is not just an academic endeavor, but a practical one, for the lessons contained within these pages have applicability for military officers, war scholars, and historians alike.

In understanding our past and the survival strategies that have served us thus far, we better equip ourselves for the challenges that lie ahead. As we embark on this exploration, remember the wisdom of Roman philosopher, Seneca: He who is brave is free. Bravery, in this context, is to face the realities of our existence without flinching. Let us, then, not shy away from the inescapable dichotomy of life and death, but instead stare into its eyes and seek to understand it. The journey begins here.

The importance of understanding survival strategies from an evolutionary perspective

Everything flows, nothing stays still, observed the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus. This universal principle of change and continuity, in its myriad manifestations, has been the cornerstone of human evolution, shaping our survival strategies through the ages. Survival, after all, is not a static concept, but a dynamic interplay of adaptability and resilience, a dance orchestrated by the rhythm of our evolutionary history.

Survival, in its rawest form, is an organism's ability to live and reproduce within its environment. From an evolutionary perspective, this capability isn't an attribute that appeared spontaneously; it has been honed and perfected over generations, etched into our DNA by the ceaseless chiseling of natural selection.

Our survival strategies, encompassing everything from hunting to warfare, are therefore products of evolutionary processes that extend back to our earliest ancestors. For millions of years, these strategies have undergone continual refinement, each modification serving as a testament to our remarkable capacity for adaptation in the face of relentless challenges.

Understanding survival strategies from an evolutionary perspective is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it provides a historical context for our current survival instincts and strategies. It illuminates the roots of our behaviors, offering a profound and fascinating glimpse into why we act and think the way we do.

The instinct to protect oneself and one's family, for instance, isn't