David W Anthony Knihy

Roughly half of the world's population speaks languages derived from Proto-Indo-European, an ancient mother tongue. The identity of its early speakers and how they spread their language globally has long been a mystery. This work unveils the original Indo-European speakers, linking their domestication of horses and use of the wheel to the transformation of civilization. David Anthony identifies the prehistoric peoples of central Eurasia's steppe grasslands as these speakers, demonstrating how their innovative use of ox wagons, horseback riding, and chariots turned the steppes into a vibrant corridor for communication, commerce, and cultural exchange. He illustrates how they disseminated their traditions and contributed to significant advancements in copper mining, warfare, and political structures, initiating an era of profound social change. Additionally, Anthony presents a fascinating discovery regarding the wear on ancient horse teeth, shedding light on the origins of horseback riding. This work addresses a longstanding scholarly puzzle about the source of Indo-European languages and English, recovering a remarkable and influential civilization from history.

We cannot know how to fix a problem until we understand its causes. But even for some of the most common mental health problems, specialists argue over whether the answers lie in the person’s biology, their psychology or their circumstances. As a cognitive neuropsychiatrist, Anthony David brings together many fields of enquiry, from social and cognitive psychology to neurology. The key for each patient might be anything from a traumatic memory to a chemical imbalance, an unhealthy way of thinking or a hidden tumour. Patrick believes he is dead. Jennifer's schizophrenia medication helped with her voices but did it cause Parkinson’s? Emma is in a coma – or is she just refusing to respond? Drawing from Professor David’s career as a clinician and academic, these fascinating case studies reveal the unique complexity of the human mind, stretching the limits of our understanding.