Directionality of Humankind's Development. History

by Victor Torvich

Discover the meaning of humanity's history, understood as a quantitative pattern of humankind's development. Uncover humanity's direction during the last 44 thousand years and gain a quantitative understanding of where we've been and are heading. Explore the possible factors that could lead humankind off this trajectory and consider their relevance to people's lives in the near future.
The book also unveils an encyclopedic list of more than 300 top innovations and other contributions to humankind.
A review of world history has been done from a complex systems viewpoint.
This book is intended for a broad audience, with eighth grade and above.

Victor Torvich specializes in complex systems. He is the author of "Subsurface History of Direction of History" and other works.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Reference

532 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2024

Reviews

[Jamie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

To understand is to perceive patterns. – Isaiah Berlin

I received a copy of this book from the author to read and review.

Modern humans evolved from Homo erectus about 300,000 years ago but for 260,000 years after that our species did not differ greatly from the other hominins around at the time. Our tools improved a bit, as did our hunting techniques and ability to cooperate, but for a long time the changes were mostly marginal. If we had been clearly superior to Neanderthals we would not have co-existed and competed with them for tens of thousands of years.

And then, things began to change, slowly at first and then more rapidly. The starting point in this book is about 42000 BCE, with cave paintings in Indonesia depicting human-animal hybrid figures, which demonstrate a capacity for symbolic thinking. From there history was set in motion. Picture a chart showing a line on an exponential trajectory: at first its rise along the y-axis is almost unnoticeable, then it starts to move faster and faster until it soars vertically.

If we analyze civilization in terms of its major milestones, what conclusions can we draw? This book focuses on 23 classes of resources, each with several subsidiary families of resources which then break down into 318 individual resources, based on the best assumptions of when they first appeared. The classes of resources include things such as Domestication of Plants and Animals (32100-16800 BCE), Transnational entities (2550 BCE), Technology beyond the limitations of human senses (1590 CE) and Artificial Intelligence (1956 CE). Using Transnational Entities as an example, it subdivides into six families of resources: Empires, International Treaties, World Religions, Alliances, International Organizations, Global International Organizations, and Global Networks. To break it down even further the International Treaties class of resources is composed of First Treaty between city-states (2550 BCE), First Treaty between Nations (1259 BCE), and First Framework for international monetary policy (1944 CE).

The selection of resources and their hierarchical order is subjective but not arbitrary, and covers the key social, cultural, economic, and technological milestones since those long-ago days when our ancestors first looked up at the night sky and saw not just points of light but stories. Importantly, even if others would have chosen somewhat different events to mark the march of history, they would have ended up with similar progressions, because the pace of societal “progress,” however you define it, has clearly been accelerating over time.

With that in mind, parsing history in this manner reveals some illuminating details. For instance, you can select a specific block of time and see when the elements within it emerged, including the pace with which they follow another, or you can look at the origin of resources geographically and see that the trend has been from Asia toward Europe and North America. You can also examine how new resources advance or stall. As an example, People and Societies as Objects of Study starts at around 29000 BCE, and over the next 30000 years generated 40 different resources, but their sequence was not linear. The early developments include surgery, diplomacy, philosophy and political science, all of which occurred before 250 BCE. However, there is then is a gap of almost 2000 years before the next advances, such as Sociology, Economics, and Cognitive Science.

What causes gaps like this? Some of it is simply the slow development of underlying technologies, so that, for example, steam power could not have come about until metallurgy was sufficient advanced. Others are more complex, and point toward external factors inhibiting progress. Psychiatry could not develop while the Church claimed exclusive authority to explain the minds of men, and was prepared to enforce its opinions with violence.

What was the driving force that eventually liberated people from those external constraints and pushed them toward new political, economic, and technological advances? The author believes it was population growth, and the synergies that emerged from competition and cooperation. Underlying that is a complex continuum of cause and effect, of accelerators and inhibitors. Why couldn’t the printing press have been invented not in 1450 CE but over a thousand years earlier in ancient Rome? It relied on the creation of paper, which appeared in China about 105 CE, but otherwise, the screw press, inks and metal type were all known or within the ability of Roman craftsmen to create. Perhaps the answer is that the Romans did not see directionality in history, and thus had little incentive to make changes. They saw the future as looking like their present.

Another question this book makes the reader think about is humankind before those first symbolic representations 44000 years ago. We were clearly human, anatomically and biologically, but we saw the world differently than we do today. Who were we before we became who we are now?

Finally, after looking backward at who we were, we have the chance to look forward to who we may become. There is no reason to believe that history ends with our times, unless we unleash the forces of annihilation upon ourselves. Fusion power, for example, would have a big impact on the direction of society, as would breakthroughs in computers and medical treatments.

The book is well researched, with citations ranging from Aristotle to contemporary philosophers and scientists. To address its basic question: is there directionality in civilization?, the answer is yes, if you define it as the steady accumulation of new ways of thinking and doing things. The spark of creativity is inherent and accumulative in humans. No supernatural forces need be invoked: we got here on our own, so where do we go next?

[sophia the first]

The author reached out asking if I wanted to review, and I said yes because I wanted to cosplay being a serious Goodreads girlie. Also I just finished Sapiens: a Brief History of Humankind and this book was described similarly, so I was interested. Usually I just write reviews to make myself laugh and to remind myself that I read the book, but anyways here goes.

It read like a Reddit post had a child with a graded essay. Unfortunately, some facts were just blatantly wrong or the premise was unbelievably shaky. For example, “involvement of women in humankind’s activities began in 1893” (when New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote). Not explaining that one further.

Gotta say, I loved the idea of the book. Basically, can we mathematically plot how humanity is developing? Like are we becoming happier, more technologically advanced, etc., as a total math nerd I got excited. However, we need teams of researchers to even start answering that.

Congratulations on the first book though!

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read on the development of humanity. The author takes a multifaceted approach to understanding the reason for human development. I am mostly trained in philosophy as far as post-education goes and I personally feel that he met the logical requirements to argue for his case. He defined all his terms very well and categorized all the different nuances that established his thesis.

As far as the authors conclusions are concerned I cannot claim to understand everything that is claimed but I enjoyed the lead up to those conclusions and I appreciated the tidbits of information that the author shared. There were many interesting factoids about the accomplishments of humanity (invention years of paper, computers, opera, art, pop music, rock music; establishment of female rights throughout the years; establishment of wide spread educational systems; etc.)

The book somewhat reads like an especially long scholarly essay. As someone who is not a scholar I found this to be somewhat detrimental to my experience of reading as I’m not a scholar and have no intention of being one, so a lot of the graphs seemed all the same to me, just an upwards slope. I usually read books based off nuanced studies like this one as I find them more digestible as a layman.

That being said I (again) enjoyed learning about all the possible reasons for humankinds development and am interested to see how we will progress (or digress…) in the future (the author makes some interesting predictions as well).

This was a good book and I will try to make a more nuanced study of it in the future. One read was not enough to absorb the large swaths of information. I will also look for peer reviews for this book because as I said before, I am not knowledgeable in this area personally.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike any other history book I’ve ever read, Victor Torvich provides a novel, original, and data-driven analysis of the development of the human race. Rather than taking traditional history’s focus on the accomplishments of civilizations and individuals, Torvich analyzes our species’ creation of and use of resources. As such, Directionality of Humankind's Development. History provides a far more objective and quantitative view of history than I ever thought possible. The author’s use of language is rather dry but this is appropriate to the scientific methodology he uses.

Torvich himself is trained as a physicist and is a specialist in complex systems. Through rigorous research, he provides an enormous amount of information “about the creative acts of humankind in creating new resources” (p. 410) without needing to rely “on social structures, political or economic considerations, or subjective terms like morality, progress, happiness, etc.” (p. 410). He begins his analysis at 42,000 BC, the approximate date when "humans became capable of making novel mental images" (p. 71) as evidenced by the oldest cave paintings depicting animal-human hybrids. He concludes in 2023 AD. The development of Novel Mental Images was a major turning point in humanity, as it allowed humans to share complex information and ideas. Language is, of course, the main way to exchange Novel Mental Images, although the author does not include this in his identified resources. This is understandable because there is great uncertainty about when language first came into existence — there is no archeological way of tracking the spoken word.

Interestingly, the second turning point in humanity that Torvich identifies is "associated with the Holocene geological period" (p. 411). Beginning around 9700 BC, according to “the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)” (p. 263) and extending to the present day, this has been an era of unusually stable climate conditions that has allowed humanity to flourish and develop new resources, notably "the use of domesticated plants and animals" (p. 92), beginning around 10000 BCE. At the time, the species numbered only 1-10 million. These conditions have allowed for astounding growth in the human population since then:

“It rose to 2–20 million in 5000 BC, approximately 27 million in 2000 BC, 150 million in 200 BC, 443 million in 1340 and 2000 million in 1925. According to the latest United Nations estimates, there were 7.7 billion people on Earth. as of October 2019 ... .That is a million-fold increase since 10000 BC to 2019.” (p. 272).

This population growth has led to the creation of new resources in response, leading the author towards the fascinating conclusion “that population change has been a” (p. 388) — perhaps the — “driving force of humankind's development since the beginning of the Holocene” (p. 388).

Torvich identifies 318 major resources that homo sapiens has created in the past 44,000 years. Some of these are surprising, yet he makes a strong case for their importance to our development. The author concludes that the direction of humankind’s development is that we are “moving towards increasing the arsenal of resources and classes of resources that humankind creates for itself” (p. 248). The rate of the creation of resources is increasing, although the rate has never been steady or predictable. Our species’ “development is a directional, but uncontrollable process” (p. 389). Torvich goes on to write about potentials for the future of the species.

Directionality of Humankind's Development. History is a massive and unique look at our species. It is a dense work, though, and a basic understanding of the methodology of the “hard” sciences such as biology is necessary to fully appreciate it. I recommend beginning the book by going through the Definitions and Concepts section in the back. Torvich’s book is well-structured and interesting.

Contents

Introduction

Part 1. How to Uncover Direction of History
Introduction to Part 1

History - Linear, Cyclical, or What?
Chapter 1.1. In a Search for the Meaning of Humankind's History
Chapter 1.2. Duration of Humankind's History

High- and Low-Level Models of Humankind's History
Chapter 1.3. Humankind as a Complex System
Chapter 1.4. Multi-Layer History
Chapter 1.5. Criteria for Resources and Classes of Resources

Part 2. History of Humankind. 300 Stories

Introduction to Part 2

First Eight Classes of Resources
Chapter 2.1. Art and Music
Chapter 2.2. Man-Made Materials, Substances, and Organisms
Chapter 2.3. People and Societies as Objects of Study
Chapter 2.4. Usage of Domesticated Plants and Animals
Chapter 2.5. Trade with a use of an Intermediary
Chapter 2.6. Tools, Devices, and Machines from Man-Made Materials
Chapter 2.7. Mass Transportation
Chapter 2.8. External Information Storage and Processing

Next Eight Classes of Resources
Chapter 2.9. War and Means of Warfare
Chapter 2.10. Transnational Entities
Chapter 2.11. Usage of People as Resource on a Massive Scale
Chapter 2.12. Use of Forces of Nature, Relativity, and Quantum Physics
Chapter 2.13. Mass Education
Chapter 2.14. Independent Communication Channels
Chapter 2.15. Mass Production
Chapter 2.16. Mass Media

Last Seven Classes of Resources
Chapter 2.17. Technology beyond the Limitations of Human Senses
Chapter 2.18. Usage of the Scientific Method and Information Technology Chapter 2.19. Usage of Natural Resources on Massive Scale
Chapter 2.20. Life Expectancy Growth
Chapter 2.21. Involvement of Women in Humankind's Activities
Chapter 2.22. Digital Technology
Chapter 2.23. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Part 3. Direction of History. What and Why
Introduction to Part 3

Graphs. Turning points. Driving Force
Chapter 3.1. Humankind's History in Graphs
Chapter 3.2. Ways to Use the Subsurface History of Humankind
Chapter 3.3. Turning Points in History
Chapter 3.4. Driving Force of Humankind's Development
Chapter 3.5. Various Fields of Humankind's Activity
Chapter 3.6. Objectivity and Stability of the Proposed Models

Subsurface History and Conventional History
Chapter 3.7. Ups and Downs in History
Chapter 3.8. Subsurface History for Strategic Planning
Chapter 3.9. Adding Geography
Chapter 3.10. Creativity of Humankind
Chapter 3.11. "European Miracle?" and More
Chapter 3.12. The East to the West Transfer Patterns
Chapter 3.13. Incident or Pattern?
Chapter 3.14. Big Questions and Answers

Part 4. Past. Present. Future.
Chapter 4.1. Looking Ahead
Chapter 4.2. Big Picture

Conclusion

Definitions and Concepts

Tables
List of Figures
List of Tables
Notes
Bibliography
Image Credits
Index

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[Image: Book Cover]

Citation:
Torvich, V. (2024). Directionality of humankind's development. History (eBook). Yury Tomashevich. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHFT8FYK

Title: Directionality of Humankind's Development. History
Author(s): Victor Torvich
Year: 2024
Genre: Nonfiction - History
Page count: 517 pages
Date(s) read: 1/31/25 - 2/5/25
Book 21 in 2025
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[Michael Munoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victor Torvich has not merely written a history book. He has presented a groundbreaking reinterpretation of human development that will change the way thoughtful readers understand civilization, progress, and even the nature of time itself. Directionality of Humankind’s Development is a rare intellectual achievement, one that dares to rethink the entire course of humanity; not through politics, ideology, or biographies, but through the measurable creation of resources that shaped our species’ ascent.

Where most history books are stories of nations and wars, Torvich begins with a deeper and more analytical premise. He proposes that the real path of human development lies not in the loud events of history, but in the quiet emergence of human-made resources; tools, institutions, technologies, and ideas that define what it means to be human. These resources, Torvich argues, can be traced, counted, and studied with precision. In this way, history becomes not a vague and subjective story but a structured and evolving system.

Beginning around 42000 years ago with symbolic cave art in Indonesia, the book charts the rise of human civilization as an upward curve; first slow, then rapid, and eventually accelerating beyond what any earlier age could have predicted. This visual metaphor is not just poetic. It is grounded in rigorous data. The author identifies 318 distinct innovations or resources that humanity has created over time. He organizes these into 23 broad categories with hundreds of subgroups, ranging from agriculture to international cooperation, from ancient treaties to artificial intelligence.

This is a history told through the arrival of paper, the printing press, political science, opera, space exploration, and even global networks. Every milestone is dated, analyzed, and placed into a larger picture of interconnected change. The approach is detailed and technical but never loses sight of its ultimate aim: to uncover the underlying structure of human progress.

One of the book’s most surprising strengths is its philosophical depth. Torvich challenges famous thinkers such as Hegel, Marx, Spengler, and Harari. These philosophers often viewed history through the lens of values, ideology, or abstract goals. Torvich, by contrast, argues that such frameworks are too vague and too subjective. He insists that if we want to truly understand humanity’s direction, we must look at what can actually be measured; the emergence of new capabilities and systems. By focusing on observable facts rather than personal values, he offers a clearer and more universal vision of progress.

Yet the book is not just a look backward. It also dares to look ahead. What will come next? What new resources will shape the next age of civilization? What threats or obstacles might knock humanity off its current path? Torvich suggests that population growth, innovation, and cooperation have been the major forces pushing us forward. But he also warns that these forces are complex and not guaranteed to continue forever. From climate change to artificial intelligence, the future holds both promise and danger.

Readers should know that this is not a light read. It is not written to entertain, but to enlighten. It is dense with graphs, classifications, and historical data. However, those willing to engage with its contents will be rewarded with a rare intellectual experience. By the end, one feels less like they have read a book and more like they have stepped outside of history to observe its inner workings.

What makes Torvich’s work so impressive is its ability to challenge deeply held assumptions about progress, purpose, and civilization. It does not try to fit history into a political narrative. It does not moralize. It simply asks: What have humans created over time? How fast have we done so? What patterns emerge? And what does this tell us about who we are and where we are going?

The author’s background in the study of complex systems shines through on every page. His insights are not just historical but scientific. He applies the logic of systems theory to the whole of civilization, revealing that the development of humanity is not chaotic, but directional. It moves with momentum, shaped by patterns of cause and effect.

In conclusion, Directionality of Humankind’s Development is one of the most original and important works of historical thought in recent times. It is a difficult book, but it is worth the effort. It offers not just knowledge, but understanding. It is a foundation for new ways of thinking about our past, our present, and our possible futures. It will not leave readers the same as they were before. Whether you agree with every detail or not, the questions it raises will stay with you for a long time.

If this book does not find a place on your shelf, it should find a place in your thoughts. A 5- star book for me.

[Dollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because I’ve always been a total nerd and want to know everything about everything, when I was contacted by the author to see if I might be interested in his book, I was game and immediately bought it. I knew this would be a keeper for me. This book is not your usual history. This is a deep-level history about when resources were developed that would benefit ALL of humanity. It’s not about politics, economics, wars or rulers, but about when sapiens did things like climb out of the trees to become cave-dwellers, when languages, music and art were developed, as well as atomic bombs. It contains all of the resources we humans have created for ourselves. There are numerous tables and graphs and even formulas like this: T [10/ (T [i + 10] - T [i]) which I didn’t understand at all (because I was a History Major, NOT a Math Major). But that’s okay. Reading it was akin to reading a text book and that’s okay, too. I found it fascinating to read and got some idea of where humanity is heading in the future, which kind of creeped me out a bit. It includes an extensive bibliography.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phew. Where to begin? This is a DEFINITE candidate for a slower re-read.

First there are two things to keep in mind.
This is not an easy read. It is not your typical human history page turner. For that reason you are not likely to find it in the airport. It is long and dense and boring. But it will DEFINITELY reward your concentration.
Just because I said it is rewarding does not mean you will agree with it completely. What it means is that it will challenge and hopefully loosen the dominant idea-driven form of human history narrative we are used to.


Most books on human development have a particular flaw. Either they are limited to a particular place or short period of time or they fly past history like lightning, making short stops along the way to cherry pick events or short periods that fit their narrative. In order words, those authors know what they think history is about and delicately pick and choose events to suit that claim.

The author attempts to do it in a different way. First, he attempts to treat it as WORLD history. Second, he attempts to do so through an analysis not of subjective terms but of observable resources. This book then is a project against authors such as Marx/Engels, Toynbee, Spengler, Hegel, and Harari, most recently. The problem the author finds with all these thinkers is that there is really no way of measuring the qualities which supposedly mark the direction of human development. The same applies to thinkers who search for goals or purpose of human history. Most of these thinkers seem to find the goal of history to be the very ideology they happen to subscribe to. This is what the book is about.

It attempts to achieve this in four parts.

Part 1 analyzes the previous attempts of thinkers to understand and predict the direction of human development. The author goes through all these thinkers in order to counter them and propose a measurable and verifiable approach.

Part 2 is an analysis of the resources used in plotting the direction of humanity. It goes through 318 examples of the ‘first’ events marking the emergence of a new resource.
Part 3 asks if there is really a direction to human development and what forces (if any) are driving it.
Part 4 brings together the previous parts and finally seeks to discover if human development is close to a crossroad.




Whether the author succeeds in establishing a new foundation for analyzing human development I will leave you to judge for yourself. Why? First because it is not an easy book to summarize based on its approach. And second because it is what I call a foundational book. It is the misfortune of such books that whether they are loved or hated, they will exist to be plundered (favorably or unfavorably) and used to feed future projects. If in the future others attempt to look at human development purely through the created resources we should look back at this book as where it all started.

[Sonny Fertile · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish this book. I make no accusations but I got the feeling it was written by AI. Or at the very least, AI was heavily relied on in its composition. I will not say that's the case for certain. Only that for me, it was so impersonal it felt what that would be like if AI wrote a book. A lot of chart like historical statistics about long list of other people's positions on subjects and their opinions and findings on their own research. That often conflicted with each other. It was like reading a textbook. Only more boring. Maybe I have just read so many great books recently that the bar is just too high for me.

[Davide Borrelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Directionality of Humankind's Development is a bold and thought-provoking exploration of human history through a unique lens. By combining data-driven analysis with a multidisciplinary approach, Torvich invites readers to step beyond traditional historical narratives and consider humanity’s development as part of a complex system. The book spans an impressive 44,000 years, examining pivotal milestones that shaped humankind, from symbolic art to artificial intelligence.

One of the work’s most commendable aspects is its ambitious scope. Torvich’s effort to quantify history and identify patterns across millennia reflects his deep intellectual curiosity and dedication to uncovering insights about humanity’s trajectory. His concept of “subsurface history,” which focuses on the underlying systems and resources that drive change, is both intriguing and innovative. It offers readers a fresh perspective on how seemingly disconnected events might form part of a larger, interconnected system.

The book’s structured presentation, divided into four comprehensive parts, makes it accessible to readers with a variety of interests. From the meticulous analysis of historical data in Part 2 to the broader questions raised about humanity’s future in Part 4, Directionality of Humankind's Development caters to both the analytically inclined and those drawn to philosophical reflections.

Torvich’s ability to weave together history, philosophy, and science is another strength of the work. By referencing thinkers like Hegel, Marx, and Harari, he situates his arguments within a broader intellectual tradition while charting his own unique course. The result is a book that challenges readers to think critically about humanity’s past and what it might tell us about our present.

While the book’s depth and analytical rigor may require a committed reader, its value lies in its ability to provoke thoughtful dialogue. Torvich’s work is not just about history—it’s about how we understand ourselves as a species and the patterns that define our shared journey. Whether or not one agrees with every conclusion, the book succeeds in raising important questions and offering a rich tapestry of ideas to explore.

In sum, Directionality of Humankind's Development is an impressive intellectual endeavor that will appeal to readers interested in the intersection of history, science, and systems theory. Victor Torvich has made a meaningful contribution to the ongoing conversation about humanity’s place in the world and the forces that shape it.

[Izzy Thurber · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 Stars.
Apologies in advance, this review has been a long time coming and I have been taking bullet point notes that I'm now trying to put into a cohesive review. Full disclosure as well, the author sent me this book to review as an alternative to Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (which I hated), but I'm not being paid to review this. A little credential-check as well before we get into this review, I'm about to graduate with an honours BA in anthropology and a minor in archaeology, and I am set to have research published in my field in a peer-reviewed academic journal in the next few months. To say the least, I know my stuff.
Overall, the book was clearly very well-researched. This took a lot of time to write, and I respect that. I believe the book could also be a good resource to introduce folks to the common theoretical models used by social sciences researchers. However, much of the research cited is poorly interpreted throughout. To expand on this point, I'll get into some specifics I took notes on as I read.
Overall, the resources section really threw me for a loop. For example, beer is referenced in the section, but not referenced as the first alcohol, even though it predates what Torvich references as the first alcohol. Why?
There's a specific quote on page 233 of the e-book copy I received from the author: "All other classes of resources were developed by humankind itself. The ability to produce Novel mental images was granted to humans from Nature." This is quite a strange, almost religious, turn in the content. Firstly, all other classes of resources listed in the section are based on natural products that humans learned how to exploit/use, and "novel mental images" is moreso a result of us developing bigger brains after we figured out how to cook meat (see Williams and Hill 2017 for a better explanation of this), not "Nature" granting it to us.
On page 267, Torvich states "Yes, the names of resources or classes of resources are subjective, but they do not impact what is under those names." What? Saying that something is subjective but does not impact your findings is not only not true, it's irresponsible as a researcher.
Another quote states "out of the 13 most important events in the history of Classic Greece, only three events had something to do with Greece's contribution to humankind." Maybe I'm thinking about this like an anthropologist too much but Greeks are human no? Does this not mean they contributed to humankind? Also, what are we defining as a "contribution"? Again the icky capitalist undertones I got from Sapiens, productivity is not defining of humanity. Further, Greek contribution is minimized here, but later in the book Torvich states that the results of this study, when you remove Greek contributions, are not statistically significant. So which is it? Did the Greeks contribute a whole lot, or very little?
Another quote: "The transfer of humankind's activity from Asia to Europe is well known. When did it happen? Why? What exactly was transferred?" Again with making vague, sweeping statements with nothing to back them up. What does this mean? Also migration out of Africa happened into Europe and Asia at very similar times.
I will admit, this next one is a little nitpicky, but at one point, Torvich refers to a specific area of Earth as "West (Europe plus the USA)". You know what we call this? The Global North. This is a term that obviously does not encompass the entirety of the Northern hemisphere, but that is why it's a social sciences-specific term. It reflects the unique privilege of North America (often excluding Mexico), and Europe in contrast to the marginalization of countries further South.
Further, Torvich makes a statement that "All this knowledge is not dependable [sic] on social structures, political or economic considerations, or subjective terms like morality, progress, happiness, etc." This is just an insane take. As a researcher studying humans, to act like your research is entirely objective and exists in a vaccuum from aspects of humanity (social structures, political or economic considerations, or subjective terms like morality, progress, happiness, etc. as stated), is once again both plain wrong and irresponsible. Also a gross misrepresentation of the research.
Finally, more of a personal opinion, I really dislike citing Ghandi multiple times here. I get that he was an important political figure, but the man was a pedophile, and I don't believe his relevance to this topic is strong enough to justify citing him in that case, especially since this is not acknowledged in the book.
On a structural level, there are consistent grammatical issues throughout and the book overall is just quite clunky to read and doesn't really flow naturally. Also, I'm a nerd. I'm an anthropology nerd. These types of books are often really boring to the general population, but I love them. And yet, I found this boring. I believe as an author, especially if you're publishing something targeted at a general audience (which I'll admit, I'm not sure if that's the case here), it's your job to engage your audience to get them to understand the value in your topic. This topic has value, but if I wasn't coming from my academic perspective I would've put this down after the first little bit and just decided it wasn't worth it. Turning back to the resources section as well, the overall conclusion that we are progressing in a direction of accessing more resources is true, and substantial evidence is provided to back that up. Additionally, I did enjoy looking at the graphs. However, I am left wondering how the resources in that section were chosen, as it seemed quite arbitrary and a selection criteria would have definitely influenced the graphs and thus the overall conclusion. Further, there is an overarching view expressed throughout this book that humans rule the Earth now. It is important to note (which is not done in the book) that this is a Western, often colonial, perspective, not everyone believes this or acts this way in relation to the Earth. Take even a surface level look into Indigenous worldviews in North America and this becomes hard to uphold as a solid take. However, I fundamentally do agree with the statement that the increase in human population is the driving force behind human history; there's simply more of us making stuff happen.
To close, I really do understand the desire to distill millenia of human history, and decades of social sciences research, into a 500 page book, but it is just kind of impossible to do without losing the impact and meaning of the research referenced. There's a reason why I've studied this for four years and still don't know everything. My professors don't even know everything. While Torvich is right that there's no worldwide studies on societal "speed-up" and "slowdown" in the acquiring of new resources, to say that there's no studies at all could be perceived as incorrect when societal collapses are a whole subdiscipline (I had a whole course this most recent term on studying collapse). They're just more zoomed in, because the factors that affect the speed-ups and slowdowns are regional. You can't do a global study because the factors mostly aren't global, and the ones that are are hardly ever acting in isolation from local factors. There's a reason this doesn't work.

[Nielsen Lemar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victor Torvich’s Directionality of Humankind’s Development is a luminous lens through which to view the human spirit’s relentless drive to create, connect, and transcend. By framing history as a series of 318 resources—categorized into 23 classes like domestication, transnational entities, and AI; Torvich offers a fresh perspective on our collective journey. His starting point, the 42,000 BCE cave paintings in Indonesia, is a poignant symbol of humanity’s first leap into symbolic thought, a moment when we began to see “stories” in the stars.
The book’s idealism lies in its celebration of human resilience. Torvich argues that population growth and the interplay of competition and cooperation have propelled us forward, even through periods of stagnation. His analysis of “gaps” in progress like the 2000-year delay in social sciences; is particularly insightful, attributing these pauses to technological limitations or cultural constraints, such as the Church’s grip on early psychiatry. This nuanced view avoids the pitfalls of overly optimistic narratives while affirming that progress, however halting, is real.
Yet, the book’s dense data and charts can feel like a labyrinth, occasionally obscuring its broader vision.

Torvich’s restraint in theorizing; focusing on data over narrative which may leave some readers craving more interpretive depth. Still, his final reflections on humanity’s future, from fusion power to medical breakthroughs, are a clarion call to shape our destiny. This is a book for dreamers and analysts alike, a testament to our capacity to build a world that reflects our highest aspirations.

[Phiona Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victor Torvich’s Directionality of Humankind’s Development is a blueprint for understanding the architecture of human progress. By cataloging 318 resources across 23 classes, Victor constructs a framework that is both analytical and visionary. His starting point, the 42,000 BCE cave paintings, marks the dawn of symbolic thought, a foundation for all that follows. The book’s central image; an exponential curve of progress captures the slow build of early milestones and the rapid ascent of modern innovations.

Torvich’s idealism lies in his belief that population growth and the interplay of competition and cooperation drive history’s directionality. His analysis of “gaps,” such as the long delay in social sciences, is particularly insightful, revealing how technological and cultural constraints shape progress. For example, he notes that the printing press, feasible in Roman times, was delayed by a lack of historical vision; a reminder that ideas need the right soil to grow.

While the book’s data-driven core can feel dense, it’s a testament to Torvich’s rigor. His speculative chapters on future technologies, like fusion power, are less predictions than invitations to imagine. This is a book for builders and thinkers, offering a blueprint not just for understanding our past but for constructing our future.

[Julius Espanol · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

First, I want to thank Victor Torvich for kindly sharing a copy of his book. It’s a deep dive into humanity’s progress over 44,000 years, built around 318 key milestones. It is data-driven, has a good perspective on history, and uncovers patterns and trends that show how we’ve evolved as a species.

The book’s research and analysis impressed me, however I found myself wishing for a more storytelling approach. Authors like Yuval Noah Harari have a way of putting together data into narratives that make history feel alive and personal. Victor Torvich's focus on facts and patterns is thorough, but it sometimes comes across as detached. I wanted to hear more about the people and stories behind the milestones—what drove these innovations, and what they meant to the world at the time.

That said, the book’s exploration of humanity’s “firsts,” like the origins of art, music, and technology, was incredibly thought-provoking. It made me reflect on how far we’ve come and the challenges we now face climate change to AI. This isn’t a casual read, but it’s worth the effort for anyone curious about the bigger picture of human progress.

[Remya Mohanraj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was asked to review this book by the author who was also kind enough to send me a review copy . The book offers a thought-provoking perspective on human progress through a unique theoretical lens and stands apart in its bold attempt to chart a directional path of humanity. The author’s insights, interwoven with historical and philosophical observations, give the reader a broad perspective of humanity's developmental journey.
One of the highlights of the book is that it frames development not as a series of random events or as purely reactive to environmental changes but as having a subtle, inherent directionality. This approach provides a novel way of thinking about how technological, social, and even ethical changes appear to steer humanity toward a loosely predictable future. The exploration of themes, such as the evolution of human values and societal priorities, adds a layer of depth to understanding why certain developmental trends persist while others falter.
On the flipside, the book reads like a compilation of research articles and by proposing a defined trajectory, the author risks oversimplifying the complexity of human development. There are a few aspects of the book that I personally disagree with, like the author’s take on a potential merger of sapiens with AI and a lack of acknowledgment of the myriad unpredictable factors/forces (economic, environmental, or cultural) that also shape the course of human events.
Nonetheless, the work provides an intriguing framework for understanding human progress, especially for readers interested in the intersection of history, philosophy, and future studies. I would say, this is quite suited for readers open to contemplating ambitious theories about our shared developmental journey, even if they don’t agree with every premise presented.

[Professor Beena · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Directionality of Humankind's Development" by Victor Torvich, offers a compelling quantitative analysis of human history over the past 44,000 years, challenging conventional narratives that often focus on specific cultures or time periods. The author adopts a global perspective, examining phenomena that have influenced humanity as a whole, and presents data derived from independent research to support their conclusions. The four main parts delve into key trends, the impacts of civilizations, technological and cultural developments, and reflections on humanity's overall trajectory.
The book emphasizes a rigorous methodology, drawing from diverse fields such as anthropology, archaeology, and sociology. This interdisciplinary approach enriches the analysis and provides a broader context for understanding historical developments
The themes explored in the book resonate with current global challenges, such as climate change, technological disruption, and social inequality. This relevance encourages readers to draw parallels between history and modern society, enhancing the book's practical significance.
These insights highlight the book’s depth and relevance, making it a significant resource for anyone interested in a nuanced understanding of human history.
Overall, "Directionality of Humankind's Development" is a significant contribution to the field of world history, offering a fresh perspective that encourages readers to reconsider their understanding of humanity's past and future. Highly recommended for anyone interested in a data-driven exploration of our collective journey.
Review by Dr Beena Giridharan

[Dave Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book by the author and asked to read and review it (thank you to the author)

In a world saturated by books and thinkers and academics tackling the subject of humanity's history, Torvich has written a book that operates somewhat counter. or at least as a fresh take, to some of the central viewpoints that we find embedded in that conversation. He seeks to redefine the conversation by placing it within a study of the broader history of the world, but with an emphasis on digging underneath the surface to where the necessary data points can effectively be grappled with. As he writes,
"Answers to the question about the meaning of humankind's history vary. However, research has often been limited to a relatively short
period of history or geographic location. We are interested in the world history of humankind, which "adopts the world as its ultimate unit of
analysis and looks for phenomena that had an impact on humanity as a whole."

The question he asks is this: "Why no one has proven that there is some sense to humankind’s history that can be measured and verified?" This question is attached to the notion of direction and meaning, subjective ideas that he believes can be properly positioned in an objective framework by partioning out the necessary dynamics of the discussion. That is, not doing away with the subjective nature of the discussion, but allowing that to co-exist with a studied, mathematical and scientific approach. Here he reshapes the demands of the question by allowing the scope to be effectively narrowed in on this specific and necessary part of the whole process.

A brief note here. I found this aspect of his approach to be refreshing. I think he rightly notes some of the issues inhernet to the likes of Pinker and Harari, and the older thinkers that preceded them within the modern framework that these questions emerge within. They tend to conflate the subjective and objective parts of the process, thus narrowing knowledge of human history and the notion of progress into a singular mode of knowledge. What this does though is close down the necessary conversation between the subjective and the objective. Not only that, but it clouds their approach and keeps them from asking the right questions. Even more so, it creates theoretical postions that often have as their foundation a visible and overt disdain for religion. They are countering religious history with the myth of progress in otherwords. Torvich addresses this by sidestepping this, allowing the necessary questions of direction and meaning in human history to grapple with different ways of knowing, even as he focuses in on a singular component.

What's interesting here is that once I finished the book, I realized that everything that he was saying seemed to be simple and obvious. He narrows in with intention on a history that begins approx 40,000 years ago, coinciding with the earliest archeaological findings of the human species as we know it today. This intention is meant to avoid the necessary clutter that might come from having to grapple with homosapiens relationship to other hominods. As best as he can, he wants to narrow in on a history in which we find homosapiens relating with itself, since that is the history the question of direction and meaning is interested in exploring. And within this 40,000 years of history we find two central pivotal or turning points- the emergence of language and the emergence of technology (or rate of change). Language is an oft studied feature of this historical narrative of course. Perhaps less so is the second. And yet that second is perhaps even more crucial to understanding how modern history relates to the ancient past.

To boil it down, there are to things that emerge from looking at the subsurface (beneath the surface) of world history- increase in resources (broadly rendered), and an increase in population. Again, these are obvious points, but they are points which are positioned within a broader conversation about direction and meaning. Since the specifics of such history position humanity not as dirvers of it but as responsible creatures within it, every resource emerges within the complexities of its context, and the more resources that emerge the more complex this relationship becomes. Thus the mathematical equation, based on a top down approach, is interested in seeing how everything relates to "firsts". Every resource can be deconstructed into a first moment, a first emergence, a first iteration. It is by collecting this data that we can examine the relationship in context.

And here in lies a potential rub on this book- it's heavily data based. The entire middle section (read: most of the book) is made up of charts and graphs and lists and equations. Which doesn't exactly make for an invigorating read. The downfall of this is that we don't get much in terms of the author's own theorizing. While certain conclusions emerge in the final section, mosly framed around questions of the modern experience with a present period of warming (assessing its forecasted end and future implications), most of this data exists to state what feels obvious to the whole. We can observe ebbs and flows. We can see starts and stops in terms of resource building and population growth. And we can all of this responding to an ever changing environment (defined by layers such as Motivation, Opportunity, Events). We can say that humanity is driven by needs, wants, cooperation and competition.

And yet, which is perhaps a nod to why those like Pinker and Harari tend to navigate towards philisophical or polemical discourse, it seems obvious that all of this "data" remains meaningles outside of some necessary subjective framework. I'm not sure the author does enough to give a stepping stone or acknowledgement of that next step in the process. Instead we get conclusions like this: "We can say that humankind's development is a directional, but uncontrollable process. This is the conclusion for now." Which, in context, is fine and sensible, belonging to a larger discussion regarding the inevitable conclusion that this stuff will eventually slow, perhaps even stop. But its not exactly invigorating. I don't know that it preaches all that well (and maybe that's part of the point). Just beware of the book's essential flavor in that regard. I personally found it to be an easy read. For all that data and math that I know I could never understand on my own, I wouldn't say I felt bogged down by it. Although I can understand why some readers would. I just was waiting for and wanting a little more substance.

Actually, I found that to be one of the more interesting dynamics, and I wish we had more time to spend on it. He notes how, despite modern conceptions looking to the modern, American West as the veritable figurehead of progress, The vast majority of resource creating and population growth happened on either side of the historical shift from Asia to Europe. In respects to the data and that math this book is detailing, resource creating and population growth has slowed in the shift from Europe to America.

One last note. I do appreciate that the author pauses at certain points to acknoweldge when and where defintions matter. He's not rushing through words, and where needed he helps to specifiy a working use of a word (even the word direction matters here) that can help anchor the process of this study. Its a sign of good process.

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Directionality of Humankind's Development. History," Victor Torvich embarks on an ambitious intellectual journey, weaving together strands of history, sociology, and futurism to present a compelling vision of human progress. This thought-provoking work challenges readers to reconsider their understanding of societal evolution and the forces that shape our collective destiny. Torvich's central thesis posits that human development follows a discernible, albeit complex, trajectory. He argues that despite apparent setbacks and cyclical patterns, there exists an overarching direction to our species' advancement. This idea is not entirely novel, yet Torvich's treatment breathes fresh life into the concept, offering a nuanced perspective that acknowledges the messiness of history while still identifying underlying trends. One of the book's most engaging aspects is its exploration of the interplay between technological innovation and cultural shifts. Torvich deftly navigates the debate between technological determinism and cultural agency, proposing a middle ground where both forces shape our developmental arc. His analysis of how breakthroughs in communication technology have repeatedly reshaped social structures is particularly illuminating. Perhaps the most audacious section of the book is Torvich's attempt to extrapolate current trends into future scenarios. While some readers may find his predictions speculative, they are grounded in rigorous analysis of historical patterns. His discussion of potential "developmental bottlenecks" – points where human progress could stagnate or regress – is both sobering and galvanizing.”Directionality of Humankind's Development" is not without its flaws. At times, Torvich's arguments veer into the realm of the overly deterministic, and some may find his optimism about long-term progress at odds with current global challenges. However, these shortcomings do not significantly detract from the book's overall value. Torvich has crafted a work that is at once scholarly and accessible, challenging and inspiring. Whether one ultimately agrees with his conclusions or not, the journey through his ideas is undeniably stimulating. For anyone interested in the grand sweep of human history and our potential futures, this book offers a fresh and provocative perspective that lingers long after the final page is turned.

[Francisco Viliesid · Rating 5 out of 5]

The study of the directionality of humankind development, or evolution, through 44 thousand years is a daunting task that the author undertakes with a fine-tooth comb, analyzing which events resulted in lasting or permanent changes. Changes which the author terms resources, which I see as “waypoints” in a “route”, since we are thinking of directionality as if in a map. Indeed, the author demonstrates there is a definite directionality. The identified resources, or “waypoints”, necessarily have been successful in exacting change in directionality. There must have been many more, given that trial and error is an ages old proven method throughout mankind’s existence, which surely resulted mostly in misfits that did not make it through. Those that made it succeeded in imprinting a direction and so have been canvassed by the author.
Directionality makes me think also on purpose, and here I wince a little. I go back to where I equate development with evolution. I do not believe in teleology, I do not believe there is purpose in Nature. I do not believe in a blind watchmaker. But, nevertheless, life tinkers its way up and up. It is never ending. To me, the author has found in his analysis of what he terms “resources”, that they appear as rungs in a ladder, that they climb up inevitably, they add one on top of all the others, faster or slower at certain periods in time, in an apparent hyperbolic fashion.
He skillfully choses the beginning of Humankind when Sapiens becomes behaviorally modern, a significant milestone when a man-made object depicts a previously unseen symbolic figure, part human, part animal, dated to approximately 44 thousand years old.
I try to see in the author’s graphs evidence for the Middle Ages. I want to see it. Ten centuries of obscurantism. It is there. Now I fear we are approaching another such period. The signs are there.
The author has taken to task of doing a good job and has succeeded. He has analyzed the historical, anthropological, paleontological, cultural, and political information necessary to back his thesis, and drawn parallels to how the identified resources follow specific trends vs time. The book will be followed by further research and debate. I will be looking forward to read about it.

[Rachel Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine history as a vast, uncharted map, with humanity’s milestones as landmarks. In Directionality of Humankind’s Development, Victor Torvich emerges as a master cartographer, meticulously plotting 44,000 years of human achievement. His choice to begin at 42,000 BCE, with Indonesia’s cave paintings, is a stroke of genius; a moment when humans first transcended the mundane to create symbolic art, hinting at the birth of imagination. From there, Torvich traces an exponential curve of progress, not as a straight line but as a jagged, vibrant path marked by bursts of innovation and frustrating stalls.
The book’s strength lies in its audacious taxonomy: 23 resource classes, from domestication to artificial intelligence, each branching into families and individual milestones. This structure, while occasionally overwhelming, offers a refreshing alternative to linear histories. It’s as if Torvich has created a periodic table of human progress, revealing patterns like the geographic shift of innovation from Asia to Europe to North America—that might otherwise go unnoticed. His discussion of “gaps” in progress, such as the delay in sociology’s emergence, is particularly compelling, pointing to cultural and technological bottlenecks with a clarity that invites further debate.
Yet, the book’s idealism shines in its vision of humanity as a collective force, propelled by population growth and the interplay of competition and collaboration. Torvich sidesteps the cynicism of deterministic historians, offering instead a hopeful, if cautious, view of our future. The final chapters, which speculate on fusion power and medical breakthroughs, feel like a call to action: a reminder that history’s trajectory depends on us. For those willing to navigate its dense data, this book is a luminous guide to humanity’s past and a provocative glimpse of its potential.

[Hanneke Van Keulen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this topic to be quite fascinating, and though I was new to the subject of historiography, the writing was well paced out, easy to follow, and new terms very well defined. I could easily see this text in a classroom setting at least as a resource for further study into the most interesting parts of human progress. Understanding basic statistics was helpful, but I don't think it is necessary to understand the final conclusion of the book.
As far as the accuracy and validity of facts and theories presented, I'll leave that to the trained professionals in those areas. What I can say is that this book is 100% approachable for the casual reader.

[Sergio · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author kindly supplied a copy of the book for review purposes.

"Directionality of Humankind's Development" serves as a great resource for those interested on human evolution and history. Although complex, its broad scope and empirical approach make it a captivating read for those interested in the subject while providing significant insights to the reader.

The book is divided into multiple parts, each focusing on different aspects of human progress, I particularly enjoyed the detailed timelines and models that helped illustrate some of the references and data.

Overall, a good read.

[Alefiyah Ghadiali · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, data-driven look at 44,000 years of human history. Torvich maps 318 milestones—from early art to AI—to argue that humanity’s development has a measurable direction. Ambitious, rigorous, and thought-provoking, though sometimes dense. Perfect for readers of big history.

[Jim Razinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not typical - the author will tell you that himself ( and his bio elsewhere says before this he “wrote academic papers and patents, but not books.”) It reads heavily like a research paper expanded. Expanded to dissertation level. Well, most of the dissertations I’ve read were a third the length.

So, how do I review a book for whom I was clearly not the target audience (though he did contact me and ask if I’d read and review it)? Hmmm, who it might appeal to? Someone who likes lists, charts and tables, obscure minutiae, reading academic papers, mountains of data, novel groupings of data.

It is not an easy read. It doesn’t flow well - staccato, clipped sentences, non sequiturs. It’s repetitious (apart from repeating text, there is at least one instance there are two tables a page apart that are identical), and in need of condensing. I think it would benefit from a technical editor (I will usually try to let an author, or publisher know of typos found, but there are far too many in here.) And it would benefit from a concerted distillation into an abstract with conclusions upfront, the remainder in appendices (especially the methodology) and let the reader decide where to drill deeper.

But, …

… it is quite apparent that the author has spent a lot of time on this book. (Anyone who has read any of my nonfiction reviews knows that I am sometimes unkind to books without citations - and sometimes over the non in-text format… but that’s a different argument - but this one has them in spades. Forty nine pages of Bibliography - impressive, 692 citations.) It would take as much time at least to dissect it to try to simplify it and edit it. Surface issues are easy, if tedious… I stopped highlighting them 15% in when I had too many to sort and sift. But the composition, let alone the philosophical approach, assumptions, and conclusions are problematic.

“We will consider usage of some technology being a decisive factor if over 40% of
world population uses that technology.” That’s arbitrary, as are a lot of inflection points chosen by the author. Another example: “An absolute top of the Creativity Index of Humankind during the last 44 thousand years occurred in 1964.” The reader has to be generous in accepting the classification of resources, their stated time of development (too many “how did he come up with that?” to list).

A major theme through this is Does history have meaning? “There are many works by famous and not so famous authors devoted to a topic that can be roughly defined as the meaning of humankind's history. This debate has been going on for many centuries.” What does that even mean? History is a record.

Philosophers seem to spend a considerable amount of time and energy trying to answer questions that either don’t need answers, or can’t have any meaningful answers. And they sometimes imagine questions that didn’t need to be asked.
And, they can also imagine what they consider fundamentally unanswerable pseudoquestions … and (lots of “ands”, I know) then imagine they (sometimes only they) have the answers, or that no one does - the former primarily. When I see “Why do humans rule the Earth? This question is an age-old question. And, of course, there are many possible answers to it. We are looking for a solution that is as objective as possible.”, well, that’s philosophy for you. And if someone quotes Deepak Chopra in any form … “We will use this definition of what control is. ‘Control is forcing events and people into your way of doing things’." … I have to work hard to continue reading.

The author explains the granularity here:

“As mentioned, the level of subjectivity in resource classification and its impact on the model's outcome is greatly reduced by combining …” [four criteria that are a bit circular, but the fourth: ]
“As much as possible, we need to exclude an addition to the list of resources, non-generalized ones. Therefore, an additional requirement is to have, in any class of resources, less than 45 resources for 44000 years of humankind's history, even in the most populated class of resources.”

And many resources make sense: painting, screw, linguistics,… but…

Many don’t: cucumber?, mango? … how are those resources?, monotheistic religion?, corruption? mob mentality?

I’m tired so here, the conclusion: “Humankind is moving in the direction of increasing the arsenal of resources created by humankind for itself. The pace of this movement is increasing over time, more sharply in later times.” Make of it what you will.

[Michael Munoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victor Torvich’s Directionality of Humankind’s Development: History is a monumental effort to chart the sprawling, chaotic arc of human progress through a lens that is both scientific and poetic. By framing human history as a series of 318 “resources” organized into 23 classes, Torvich transforms the abstract notion of progress into a tangible, measurable phenomenon. His approach; breaking down milestones like the domestication of plants or the rise of international treaties into hierarchical categories is ambitious and, at times, dizzyingly meticulous. Yet, it’s this very precision that makes the book a revelation. The charts and graphs, which dominate the middle section, are not mere data dumps; they are a visual symphony of humanity’s ascent, showing how each “first” builds upon the last, like notes in a crescendoing score.
What sets this book apart is its refusal to romanticize progress. Torvich acknowledges the gaps: those frustrating pauses in innovation, like the 2000-year lag in social sciences after early advances in philosophy. He attributes these to technological prerequisites (e.g., metallurgy for steam power) or cultural inhibitors (e.g., religious dogma stifling psychiatry). This nuanced view avoids the triumphalism of some modern historians while still celebrating humanity’s creative spark. The book’s idealism lies in its faith that population growth and human synergy; cooperation and competition drive us forward, even if the path is uneven. For readers who crave a blend of hard data and philosophical musing, this book is a treasure trove, though its dense middle section may test the patience of those seeking narrative over analysis. It’s a work that demands engagement but rewards with a profound sense of where we’ve been and where we might go. Great book for real!

[Dominic Ajer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victor Torvich’s Directionality of Humankind’s Development is a bold, symphonic exploration of human history, conducted with the precision of a maestro and the curiosity of a philosopher. By organizing 44,000 years into 318 “firsts”—from the first treaty between city-states to the dawn of AI; Torvich composes a narrative that is both granular and grandiose. His central metaphor, an exponential curve of progress, is a powerful visual: a line that creeps slowly at first, then surges upward, mirroring the accelerating pace of human ingenuity.
The book’s most striking feature is its refusal to treat history as a monolith. Instead, Torvich dissects it into 23 resource classes, each a movement in the symphony of civilization. His analysis of “People and Societies as Objects of Study,” for instance, reveals a fascinating ebb and flow: early advances in surgery and philosophy give way to a 2000-year hiatus before sociology and economics emerge. This rhythm of progress, punctuated by pauses, challenges the reader to consider what drives or stalls innovation. Torvich’s answer: population growth and the synergy of human interaction is both simple and profound, suggesting that our greatest achievements arise from the messy dance of cooperation and rivalry.
While the book’s data-heavy middle section may daunt some readers, it’s a testament to Torvich’s rigor, grounding his idealism in empirical evidence. His speculative forays into the future, touching on fusion power and AI, are less predictions than invitations to imagine. This is a book for those who see history not as a dusty archive but as a living, evolving score; one we are still writing.

[Luke Sherwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Directionality of Humankind’s Development, Victor Torvich, a physicist and specialist in complex systems, builds a considerable set of data, and applies consistent and rigorous standards to it while tracing the development of the human race. His time frame begins 44,000 years ago, and ends last year, in 2023. His methodology is to define resources humankind invented for itself, and accumulate them over time, and thus measure the creative energy of the race, and try to establish the cumulative direction. He is exacting and somewhat exhaustive in his researches and his methods.

He first assigns levels to the resources he enumerates, and describes the relationship between these levels; however, my discussion will focus (as his does too, mainly) on the resources themselves. Obviously these resources can be categorized, for instance mass transportation can be divided into mass transit by rail, mass transit in a vehicle with a motor, mass transit by water, even mass transit by tank. The author enumerates these separate classes, but I found his level of detail about these data appropriate and useful.

I will say that I am not a scientist, nor a historian, nor am I conversant in complex systems. I have exposed myself just slightly (almost not at all, really) to the new disciplines of Big History and Deep History. Torvich does not align himself with either of these disciplines, which have their own methods, terms, and theorems. I did find it interesting and gratifying that he chose the time period of 44,000 years ago to the present as his sample. (It’s not a sample at all, it’s a population. I do know that much.)

The first resource humankind invented for itself, much further back in history that 44,000 years, is “Novel Mental Images,” and the date given for its inception is 42,000 BCE. This is based on the dating of human-animal hybrid paintings found in caves in Indonesia. He also offers the current finding that Neanderthals and Denisovans were gone from Earth by then. Of course, the main interchange of Novel Mental Images between humans is language. He excepts language from his scheme because of, among other things, of deep uncertainty of when to peg its beginning. He cites the most recent invention of a resource as the First Communication via hologram, which occurred in 2018.

In all, Torvich enumerates 318 resources which humankind invented for itself, and they aren’t all intuitive, but I’m sure that’s my fault. I clearly haven’t devoted the time and energy to the issue as he has. I will say that his choices, aside from some splintering of latter-day digital resources, appear to have merit. And 318 data points is certainly enough to warrant the use of statistical methods and conclusions. His concise conclusion says, “Humankind is moving towards increasing the arsenal of resources and classes of resources that humankind creates for itself”; that the rate at which humankind is creating resources is increasing, and that the process has not occurred at a steady rate over time.

He dives deeply into the data in later chapters, particularly Chapter 3, and for me, much of this information could have been added as appendices. But this is a quibble. This is a thought-provoking, sweeping assessment of humankind’s historical amassing of its “arsenal of resources.” Torvich applies his rigorous standard to it, eschewing any political, emotional, or religious terms. He simply counts up each resource, establishes the year when it first went into service, and goes from there. Again, I’m not an academic in any historical field, but I found the design commendable, and it seems to me a solid, basic text from which further work may well grow.

https://bassoprofundo1.blogspot.com/2...

[Science and Fiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the awkward title you might not know what to expect with this book. Indeed, although this is listed as a history book, you will find no discussion of kings and queens, battles and wars, famines and plagues. Instead, you will find a statistical analysis of pivotal ideas in humankind’s past, a data-rich chronological catalog of ideas, inventions, and social experiments which have moved the progress of humankind ever forward. These are the big ideas which mostly affect us at a global level on a day-to-day basis, so there is really no concern for countries, dynasties, political ideology, or religion. Think of the impact of domesticating animals, cultivating plants, the first wheel on an axle, the printing press, electricity, nuclear power.

Each step of the way Torvich lays out the criteria and definitions which are an attempt to give an objective, rather than subjective, understanding of how we got to where we are today, and what these trends might suggest when extended into the future. He identifies 23 categories (or “resources”) such as food production or mass transportation, and then beginning about 42,000 years ago, identifies 318 specific events that form the basis for the data set.

The amount of research required to plot these 318 data points chronologically is impressive, and factually, there is nothing to argue about any of these data points. However, we all know how statistics can be manipulated to show vastly different outcomes. Therefore, any niggling questions that I may have arise from a more subjective assessment: why these specific 318 points and not others? Torvich himself acknowledges that this research is only a starting point of what should be a larger conversation.

Much of the data entries are interesting and worthy of inclusion, such as the first use of dentistry, or the first use of the wheel and axle (as opposed to rolling heavy objects over logs). But I felt that some of the data points were rather arbitrary, and certainly peripheral to the larger scope of events. For example, data point 109 of 318 is the cucumber. Why does the cucumber get singled out and not zucchini or peach? It’s not like any of them are global staples of the diet compared to grains (rice, wheat, barley). Furthermore, the detailed entries in Part Two do not always align with information given in the concluding table. In Part Two the emergence of cucumber as a resource is given as 1000 BC, while in the concluding table it is listed as 5000 BC. Not that I care either way.

Some data points also seem arbitrarily inflated, or at the very least, strangely contorted, in chapter 2.21 awkwardly titled: Massive Involvement of Women in Humankind’s Activities. Some of the data points are straight forward, such as: First Country Where Women Right to Vote Accepted Legally (1893 in New Zealand). But further data points seems arbitrary, possibly limited by what verified documentation could be found by the researchers, they are: First 10% share of Self-Made Women at the Top of the Social Hierarchy; First 39% Percentage of Employed Women (why not 41%, or a more logical milestone like 50%?), First Less than 20% Gap with Men in Years of Schooling; First Less than 21% Gap with Men in Earnings; and so on. While not without interest, I wondered why these specific percentage points, and some of the data points seemed to be data fluff just to appear to be more gender inclusive.

Then there is the question of negative events. Torvich hints at this during the discussion of why data points are not weighted (veers too heavily into the subjective), but I would have liked at least a few paragraphs about the Murder of Hypatia, the first woman philosopher and astronomer, and the burning of the Alexandria Library, which (by some estimates) set back humankind a thousand years. Also interesting to see how the Dark Ages (after the fall of the Roman Empire) was a veritable black hole of nothingness in terms of humankind’s advancement. The correlation is, of course, that when anarchy prevails or small villages are left to fend on their own at a subsistence level, the lack of a governing body to coordinate the efficiency of society does not bode well for humankind.

Quibbles over data points aside, there are two further reasons why I’m not giving five stars for this book. The first would be easy enough to address should there be a second edition, and that would be the copious amount of typesetting errors. We have partial sentences that skip down a line and repeat; some paragraphs are indented, others not; gaps of five or six spaces between words in a sentence; chapter headers appear at the bottom of the page when a hard control page break should have been used; unidiomatic and awkward expressions everywhere. This book needs a good editor, and they need know nothing about the subject matter – anybody with eyes can look at the pages and see problems everywhere. I suspect that part of what happened here is what happened when my wife submitted a white paper that looked great on the home computer but somehow got reformatted with different margins into something quite screwy on the office printer.

The second reservation I have will require further clarification from the author in the conclusion (which is only a single page here). I kept waiting for an answer to Why? The direction of humanity seems obvious to me and the book offered nothing new to ponder. If you have read Henry Gee’s excellent A Very Short History of Life on Earth, you will know that since the first organism co-opted another organism to increase complexity and efficiency through specialized tasks, life has become ever more complex, not less. As self-aware beings with opposable thumbs that live in a medium (land and air) which allows metallurgy and precision technology (as opposed to dolphins or cephalopods that are handicapped by the medium in which they live) we are uniquely capable of creating technology for our own increase in efficiency, survival, and creature comfort. Thus, unless we annihilate ourselves, the progression of humankind will always have an upward trajectory. No big mystery or big reveal there.

A good example of how complexity (adding new resources) might play out over millions of years can be found in the excellent science fiction work Medusa’s Gauntlet, by Kishore Tipirneni, where superior beings reveal that the pursuit of complexity is the primary hallmark of emergent consciousness. So I’d like to see Torvich wrap up the book with something a little more inspired. The book really does deserve a second edition, cleaned up and ready for prime time, and then possibly worthy of five stars.

[Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kindly sent a review copy of this book by the author, Victor Torvich, for which my thanks.

In the many thousands of years human beings (homo sapiens) have inhabited this planet, we have come a long way from cave-dwelling and hunter-gatherer societies to agriculture, industry, technology and now information technology and AI, to mention some broad markers. But did these developments take place in a particular way, have a particular direction, and are we still headed in the same or a different direction? In Directionality of Humankind’s Development: History, the author applies a quantitative approach to inquiring into these questions, in keeping with the understanding of direction in its mathematical sense (‘direction of motion’) rather than alternative meanings which the term may have acquired.

Commencing with an extensive review of literature considering human history or ideas such as progress, from Marx and Engels to Toynbee, Vladmir Vernadsky to Yuval Noah Harari and David Christian, the book argues how these approaches are either local or qualitative. Alongside, the very ideas involved in such inquiries, including history and progress have been differently perceived. Concluding that prior exercises have not yielded any satisfactory answer to the question of whether there is a direction for the development of history and if so what, the author embarks on his own investigation of these issues, but not before dwelling on underlying ideas and concepts including the computation of time and calendars.

To chart the course of humankind’s development through history, the author uses as his data points, significant events, namely the first use of important resources, their approximate (for cases in prehistory) or precise dates allowing for a system with measurable characteristics. Purposively chosen, the data covers a range of firsts from museums, artwork and music, to wars and weaponry, architecture, agriculture, animals and domestication, cloning, health and medicine, technological developments and much more including more recent landmarks like AI. Over 300 (318) such data points are chosen on the criteria of durability, mass use, and expandability and classed into broader categories, discussed at length in the second part of the book. The time period chosen is from 42,000BC to the present on the ground of humans adopting the first modern behaviours at this point. The choices statedly do not take into account the ethical or moral questions attached to some of these factors, for instance wars and weaponry (or for that matter cloning), keeping the approach objective and factual.

The author then proceeds to plot these ‘firsts’ against the dates (or approximate dates) when they occurred to determine the path that humans have taken. This in fact reflects the creation or accumulation of resources by humankind, largely an increasing trend as they have ‘progressed’ over the years. Though the central question, this path and its implications are only part of the exercise which proceeds into further in-depth analysis including aspects of the driving force behind this path, the periods of accelerated development (many consecutive) and lulls, and issues such as climate, language, geography and the Holocene. Periods of acceleration and deceleration are analysed at length and likewise, the paths of related categories of data are compared closely. Taking into account the possibility of errors and changes (with more discoveries and archaeological investigations, greater accuracy and new data are always possibilities), questions of reliability of the models applied are also reflected on.

While this exercise does shed light on the path that humankind has taken so far, the road ahead may or may not be the same, with several issues from AI and AGI to climate change posing challenges. These factors remain unknowns in that their precise impacts perhaps cannot be foretold. While there may be an unpredictability to what lies ahead, the book certainly identifies significant factors that could impact our future path.

In Directionality of Humankind’s Development, the author takes an innovative approach to chart the path that humans have taken thus far, one I haven’t come across anywhere in my reading at least. The many graphs and charts especially enable the reader to see how significant developments and innovations across various facets of human life have proliferated over time, especially so in our more recent past, the analysis demonstrating links and correlations to different factors.

The book is extensively researched, evidenced in its data points and literature review as also the substantial and wide-ranging bibliography which runs into several pages. The analysis proceeds methodically and covers a tremendous range of human activity.

While there were many factual aspects that stood out to me, a couple of the more interesting ones I’d like to highlight here were those of the first work of authored literature and first museum, both attributed to women: works in cuneiform including hymns by Enheduanna (2285–2250BC), daughter of Sargon of Akkad and a private museum created in 530 BC by Ennigaldi, daughter of Nabonidus, last king of the Neo Babylon Empire, respectively. Many other firsts, including music bands and AI surprised me being in existence earlier (in the first case far earlier) than I had expected.

This was an interesting and informative book to read though one best read over time and slowly digested to absorb the wealth of its details and nuances. There were some points where I felt more details or explanatory notes would have helped, for example the reference to Krugman and Pinker’s 2019 debate which I had to google for details. A few lines in the endnote here would have been useful.

Overall, a book which has valuable insights to offer on human history and development, approached in a novel manner.

4.25 stars

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Scientific Method in Action

Trivia buffs will enjoy the informative lists of historical facts.
The info regarding the scientific method is great. We definitely need more of the scientific method and less random opinions in the world.

Torvich’s approach is much more scientific than Harari’s overrated “Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind.”

Loved the various quotes before each section that help to provide cohesive thought concerning the data presented.
The graphs, charts, and detailed documentation are very nice.

Only complaint is there is too much repetition throughout the book. Perhaps some more editing could enhance the reader’s experience and overall understanding.

[Lonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of the book from the Author to review.

The subject is an interesting one, I have read other books on the subject previously.
I had a hard time sticking with this particular book. It reads like more like a research paper rather than a book.
It is quite repetitive and so is a very long and sometimes a very dry read.
It is a tricky subject matter and I think overall the author did a good job of explaining and describing significant milestones.
Another edit with perhaps some of the repetitiveness tidied up would push it to a four star rating.
Definitely worth a read if the subject is of any interest to you