Life as We Made It by Beth Shapiro asks: is “natural” always best?


SOURCE: NEWSTATESMAN.COM
DEC 03, 2021

We might be scared of biotechnology – but this compelling book argues that it’s nothing new, and could help save the planet.

Foods sold as “organic” or “free from preservatives” tumble easily into my shopping basket. The more natural-sounding the better. Such labels convince me that the products I’m buying are healthier and better for the environment. <em>Life as We Made It</em> by Beth Shapiro, an exploration of biotechnology, human evolution and our significant and often unwelcome impact on the planet, casts doubt on whether “natural” is always best, or indeed whether there is such a thing as “natural” – understood as a pristine sphere untouched by human activity.

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