Biohistory: Decline and Fall of the West Paperback - 2015

Dr. Jim Penman has devoted his life to the scientific understanding of social change. Having obtained a PhD in History from Australia's La Trobe University in 1983, he is now an Honorary Fellow and Guest Lecturer at RMIT University in Melbourne. Dr. Penman's theory of biohistory - the study of history informed by biology - is as radical as it is pioneering. For the first time, he has discovered a tangible link between the fortunes of society and mechanisms that adapt animal social behaviour to changing food conditions. His startling conclusion is that major societal changes, such as the collapse of mighty civilisations, can be explained in terms of biology. He suggests that harnessing the power of this complex relationship might possibly prevent the West from sharing the fate of Rome. Dr. Penman is also a successful businessman and the founder of Jim's Group, Australia's largest franchise network with 3,400 franchisees in four countries. In 2007, he created a scientific research program which has done valuable work in the field of animal behavior, biochemistry and epigenetics. To date, he has co-authored ten peer-reviewed papers in leading journals including Behavioral Brain Research and Physiology and Behavior. Findings so far include a method of dramatically improving the maternal behaviour of rats, with far-reaching effects on offspring. They also make clear that the observed patterns are epigenetic in origin, supporting Biohistory's broader social and historical observations.