Millions of years ago, geological forces ripped the world to pieces. Christopher Columbus changed all that though. When he sailed across the Atlantic, he began a process that knit the world back together ecologically and economically. It meant there would be tomatoes in Italy and coffee in Brazil. The journalist Charles Mann says while the costs and benefits are inseparable, 1493 marked the birth of the world we live in today. We spoke with Mann earlier this year about his book called "1493." (Rebroadcast)
Charles C. Mann is a correspondent for The Atlantic, Science, and Wired, and has written for The New York Times, and Smithsonian among many others. Among his books are 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus and 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created
Music from Today's RadioWest:
- The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez, Cello Song
- Ratatat, Everest
- Beirut, Port of Call