Archaeologists found evidence of a keg party 11 thousand years ago in Turkey. Edward slingerland argues that even today, we can tap into the benefits of alcohol. Todaydowe: Is drinking an indication that something positive is happening?
Do we have alcohol to thank for civilization? The answer, according to Edward Slingerland’s new book, “Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization,” is a resounding yes. Edward, who’s a professor at the University of British Columbia and self-proclaimed “philosophical hedonist,” says that far from being an evolutionary fluke, our taste for alcohol is an evolutionary advantage — one that we’ve relied on for millennia to help us lead more social, creative, and pleasurable lives.