On the Origin of Being is a love letter from Mother Nature, desperate to send humankind a crucial message. The book is not laced with mysticism, but as a reader, I couldn’t help but imagine that Mother Nature possessed the minds of the authors, Luke Comer and Jenny Powers, to warn us of the consequences of our modern lifestyle— like the relentless stress of overwork, the social disconnection driven by our digital dependency, and the normalcy of unhealthy diets, causing us our daily miseries.
The world is moving so fast but our bodies are evolving slowly, and the effect of this can be seen at home, at school, and in workplaces. For instance, our body needs 8 hours of sleep to function at its optimum but sometimes our children have no option but to sleep for 4-6 hours because, after school, they have to do their homework until the wee hours. The book greatly explains the tug-of-war between modern life and our primal bodies and how it is ripping us apart. But, thankfully, the clues on how to navigate our modern lives without compromising our health can be learned from the lives of our ancestors, especially the hunter-gatherers, who didn’t suffer from modern health concerns such as heart issues, weight issues, and diabetes. We are designed to adapt to our environment to survive and thrive. This ability is encapsulated in our genes passed on by our ancestors. Mother Nature is still looking out for us but will we take heed of her cautions?
On the Origin of Being is written by Jenny Powers and Luke Comer. Jenny Powers is a scientist with a PhD in Immunology. She’s interested in discovering human nature and the heritage of our ancient people. She’s also a wife, mom, and writer living in Colorado with her family. On the other hand, Luke Comer is an independent producer, writer, and director who grew up in small-town Alabama and later attended Oberlin College. In his youth, he loved outdoor adventures, rock bands, and reading books. The challenges he faced in his late 20s and early 30s, led him to heal through yoga, nutrition, psychedelics, and other modalities. He supports artistic and alternative cultures in Colorado, fighting government prejudice.
On the Origin of Being won two awards: The Book Fest’s 1st Place Award Winner in non-fiction, Science - Health and Fitness, and the 2025 Book of the Year Award given by the Best Holistic Life Magazine.
Overview
There is one thing to which every person is destined to become…
Aristotle encased this in one word — eudaemonia, to flourish and live a “full and satisfying life”
To fulfill this purpose, nature manipulates the mechanisms in the human body by using evolutionary forces to ensure that the human species can live and survive through time. The genetic code embedded in every human influences the cells, bodies, and brain to support life and pass the human attributes to the next generation.
We are programmed to grow and flourish with our abilities to think, to communicate, and to solve problems.
But there’s a catch…
All these are possible if we are in a “dynamic state of health.
However, as time went by, geography and climate changed, homo sapiens left the hunting-gathering life and adopted agriculture that gave way to a modern life that led to the development of farms, landlords, and jobs.
And things took a bad turn...
Inequalities in income, wealth, and well-being along racial and class lines became rampant.
Many of us feel plagued by profound dissatisfaction, depression, addiction, and despair – the detrimental side effects of modernity.
Are we just going to be swept away by the rapid pace of modern life?
There are no easy answers… But we have to move forward...
Of this, we can be sure…
We are also designed to adapt…
And this book, On the Origin of Being, will help us understand the traits and behaviors that our ancestors passed on to us. Their sleeping patterns, diet, work, and rest will help us understand ourselves and adjust to our present-day environment. This shrinks the gap between our primal self and the modern self.
Discussion Questions
- Based on the lifestyle of the hunter-gatherers, explain why they were healthier than modern people.
- What led to the population boom?
- How did the human diet change over time?
- Cite three things that modern people can learn from hunter-gatherers regarding food and diet.
- What mechanism in the human brain follows the movement of the Earth and how does this affect sleep?
- How does sleep deprivation affect muscle recovery and sustained physical effort?
- What steps can you take to take responsibility for your sleep?
- What is “workism”?
- How does modern-day work affect the overall health of a person?
- What are the recommendations of the authors for living a good life?
Quotes
What I Loved The Most
- Reading a book about people in ancient times, human biology, history, facts, and figures can be daunting. Although I incorporated non-fiction books that talk about difficult topics such as consciousness, physics, and brain science in my reading life, there is still a feeling of inadequacy in reading and fully understanding the content of these books. The one thing that sustains me is my curiosity about the world and the processes that support the existence of living and nonliving things. In this book, On the Origin of Being, the authors used easy language and simple organization of ideas that make historical, scientific, and statistical facts easy to digest, which gives me the confidence to enjoy it.
- The book fascinated me with its premise that the modern world is moving so fast that our biology can’t keep up. This is why our bodies can’t survive without enough sleep and proper nutrition. The book clearly and comprehensively explains the evolution of human biology and the environmental changes that forced human beings to modify their sleeping patterns, their lifestyle, and their diet to accommodate modern demands. The consequences of these modifications are manifested through chronic diseases and other health issues.
- The book is not all doom and gloom. Instead, it provides insights and practical tips on how to live the modern life without compromising our health. At the end of every chapter is a list of things that we could do to improve our sleep, nutrition, and work and rest.
- I appreciate the book so much because it introduced me to the hunter-gatherers whose lives were attuned to nature and their true needs. The book claims that they are healthier than modern people as the hunter-gatherers were constantly on the move to find food, spending the energy that they got from their food in physical activities, and they didn’t experience the stress of structured work or modern living.
What I Loved The Least
- There isn’t anything that I didn’t like about this book. However, the book discusses that human beings evolved from monkeys, which may not align with everyone’s beliefs. I encourage readers to approach this section thoughtfully and consider it as part of the book’s overall perspective.