"Have you read "The Human Zoo"?"

I read it when it came out 40 years ago or so and really enjoyed it.

It broadened my view of humanity and life. It seems like humans have always lived in cities, but in actuality, we were hunters and gatherers for 99% of the time we've been on Earth.

Reading about our prehistoric past has helped me make sense of life today. For instance, in prehistoric societies, it only takes 2 years to train young people in the skills they will need to be adults. Today, life is very complicated and it takes 2 decades to pick up the skills necessary to be a productive adult.

BUT, children still feel like playing and having fun, because that is what they did for hundreds of thousands of years. It feels unnatural to go to school at 6 and study hard for 12 or more years.

I could point out several other ways understanding our pre-historic past has shed light on how life is today, but I'll leave them for you to discover.