# So Much Stuff: How Humans Discovered Tools, Invented Meaning, and Made More of Everything - Hardcover

by **Chip Colwell** (Author)

**How humans became so dependent on things and how this need has grown dangerously out of control.**

Over three million years ago, our ancient ancestors realized that rocks could be broken into sharp-edged objects for slicing meat, making the first knives. This discovery resulted in a good meal and eventually changed the fate of our species and our planet.

With _So Much Stuff_, archaeologist Chip Colwell sets out to investigate why humankind went from self-sufficient primates to nonstop shoppers, from needing nothing to needing everything. Along the way, he uncovers spectacular and strange points around the world--an Italian cave with the world's first known painted art, a Hong Kong skyscraper where a priestess channels the gods, and a mountain of trash that rivals the Statue of Liberty. Through these examples, Colwell shows how humanity took three leaps that led to stuff becoming inseparable from our lives, inspiring a love affair with things that may lead to our downfall. Now, as landfills brim and oceans drown in trash, Colwell issues a timely call to reevaluate our relationship with the things that both created and threaten to undo our overstuffed planet.  

### Author Biography

**Chip Colwell** is an archaeologist, former museum curator, and editor-in-chief of _SAPIENS_, a digital magazine about anthropological thinking and discoveries. He is the author and editor of twelve books, including the award-winning _Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits: Inside the Fight to Reclaim Native America's Culture_, also published by the University of Chicago Press.  

**Number of Pages:** 304

**Dimensions:** 1 x 9 x 6.3 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** November 06, 2023

## Details

- **Price:** 29.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 29.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- So Much Stuff: How Humans Discovered Tools, Invented Meaning, and Made More of Everything - Hardcover

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> Updated: 2026-07-23