Part 4/11:
Mastery of Fire: This earliest revolution enabled humans to outsource energy needs—cooking, warmth, and protection—profoundly changing daily life and leisure. It was pivotal in freeing humans from purely subsistence activities, leading to increased food variety and increased leisure.
Transition to Agriculture: The shift from hunting and gathering to farming remains mysterious but highly consequential. Agriculture transformed societies into growth-centric entities where effort directly correlated with reward. Now, effort was tied to resources like crops and livestock, with land and labor becoming capital—a term etymologically linked to "cattle," which historically served as both a resource and a form of capital.