Timothy Taylor – författare

From the author of ‘The Prehistory of Sex’ – a coruscating, insightful history of the human soul.Cannibals, burials, vampires, human sacrifice, bog people – throughout history our ancestors have responded to death in numerous ways. The past has left us numerous relics of these encounters between the dead and those they leave behind: accounts of sacrifices in early histories, rituals that have stood the test of time, bodies discovered in caves and bogs, remains revealed by archaeological digs.Through these insights into the past, Tim Taylor pieces together evidence of how our ancestors created their universe and asks how we have dealt with the idea of the end and slowly come to create not only a sense of the afterlife but also the soul.Tim Taylor’s investigation from the earliest remains of burial to funeral rituals in 9th-century Steppes and the mummification of Lenin in Moscow, is a breathtaking combination of research, insight and scholarship that has profound resonance today.Combining history, archaeology, philosophy, cutting edge science and autobiography, ‘The Buried Soul’ is a radical and unique adventure into the sepulchral world. Constantly illuminating and insightful, it is not only a fascinating investigation into popular science but also a thought-provoking and discursive examination of ourselves.

A breakthrough theory that tools and technology are the real drivers of human evolution. Although humans are one of the great apes, along with chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans, we are remarkably different from them. Unlike our cousins who subsist on raw food, spend their days and nights outdoors, and wear a thick coat of hair, humans are entirely dependent on artificial things, such as clothing, shelter, and the use of tools, and would die in nature without them. Yet, despite our status as the weakest ape, we are the masters of this planet. Given these inherent deficits, how did humans come out on top? In this fascinating new account of our origins, leading archaeologist Timothy Taylor proposes a new way of thinking about human evolution through our relationship with objects. Drawing on the latest fossil evidence, Taylor argues that at each step of our species' development, humans made choices that caused us to assume greater control of our evolution. Our appropriation of objects allowed us to walk upright, lose our body hair, and grow significantly larger brains.As we push the frontiers of scientific technology, creating prosthetics, intelligent implants, and artificially modified genes, we continue a process that started in the prehistoric past, when we first began to extend our powers through objects. Weaving together lively discussions of major discoveries of human skeletons and artifacts with a reexamination of Darwin's theory of evolution, Taylor takes us on an exciting and challenging journey that begins to answer the fundamental question about our existence: what makes humans unique, and what does that mean for our future?

A Stanford University Press classic.

A Stanford University Press classic.

International Master Timothy Taylor unearths the secrets of Bird's Opening and its many deviations. Using illustrative games, he examines tactical and positional ideas for both colors and recommends the best paths.

In this book, Timothy Taylor gets to grips with the King's Indian and Grunfeld, providing White with a number of easy-to-learn and effective weapons which are specially designed to cause Black maximum discomfort. Taylor examines the typical tactical and positional ideas for both players, highlighting the tricks and pitfalls one must look out for.

In this landmark book, Timothy Taylor uncovers the secrets of pawn sacrifices, highlighting the many reasons for their success, and indicating the ideal situations in which they work.

Timothy Taylor offers an in-depth study of the Budapest Gambit, presenting up-to-date analysis and covering the typical plans for both sides, providing everything you need to know about this opening.

Timothy Taylor takes a contemporary look at one of Black's most ambitious counters to 1 e4, the Alekhine Defence. He constructs a practical repertoire for Black, ideal for the modern-day player.

Former US Open Champion Timothy Taylor presents weapons for Black against the hugely popular Spanish Opening, with a repertoire based on the Modern Steinitz Defence.

Former US Open Champion Timothy Taylor presents an attacking repertoire for White against the ever-popular Sicilian Defence. It is based primarily on the Open Sicilian which is regarded as White's most challenging response.