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Fossil Men
- The Quest for the Oldest Skeleton and the Origins of Humankind
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins
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Kindred
- Written by: Rebecca Wragg Sykes
- Narrated by: Rebecca Wragg Sykes
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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In Kindred, Neanderthal expert Becky Wragg Sykes shoves aside the cliché of the shivering ragged figure in an icy wasteland and reveals the Neanderthal you don’t know, who lived across vast and diverse tracts of Eurasia and survived through hundreds of thousands of years of massive climate change. Using a thematic rather than chronological approach, this book will shed new light on where they lived, what they ate and the increasingly complex Neanderthal culture that is being discovered.
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Thought-provoking, riveting book
- By cellarpat on 2021-01-09
Written by: Rebecca Wragg Sykes
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Letters from an Astrophysicist
- Written by: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Vikas Adam, Piper Goodeve, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has attracted one of the world’s largest online followings with his fascinating, widely accessible insights into science and our universe. Now, Tyson invites us to go behind the scenes of his public fame by unveiling his candid correspondence with people across the globe who have sought him out in search of answers. In this hand-picked collection of 100 letters, Tyson draws upon cosmic perspectives to address a vast array of questions about science, faith, philosophy, life, and of course, Pluto.
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Terrific
- By Ally on 2020-10-15
Written by: Neil deGrasse Tyson
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Viral
- The Search for the Origin of COVID-19
- Written by: Matt Ridley, Alina Chan
- Narrated by: Gavin Osborn
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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A new virus descended on the human species in 2019 wreaking unprecedented havoc. Nearly two years into the pandemic, the crucial mystery of the origin of SARS-CoV-2 is not only unresolved but has deepened. In this uniquely insightful book, a scientist and a writer join forces to try to get to the bottom of how a virus whose closest relations live in bats in subtropical southern China somehow managed to begin spreading among people more than 1,500 kilometers away in the city of Wuhan.
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fascinating and so important
- By edd on 2022-03-10
Written by: Matt Ridley, and others
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The Fight for History
- 75 Years of Forgetting, Remembering, and Remaking Canada's Second World War
- Written by: Tim Cook
- Narrated by: J. D. Nicholsen
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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The Second World War shaped modern Canada. It led to the country's emergence as a middle power on the world stage; the rise of the welfare state; industrialization, urbanization, and population growth. After the war, Canada increasingly turned toward the United States in matters of trade, security, and popular culture, which then sparked a desire to strengthen Canadian nationalism from the threat of American hegemony. The Fight for History examines how Canadians framed and reframed the war experience over time.
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This explains a lot
- By B Goff on 2020-11-18
Written by: Tim Cook
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The Rise and Reign of the Mammals
- A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us
- Written by: Steve Brusatte
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
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The Rise and Fall of the Mammals has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.
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Excellent Follow Up That Stands On It’s Own
- By Sebastian on 2022-07-12
Written by: Steve Brusatte
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The Blind Watchmaker
- Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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The Blind Watchmaker, knowledgably narrated by author Richard Dawkins, is as prescient and timely a book as ever. The watchmaker belongs to the 18th-century theologian William Paley, who argued that just as a watch is too complicated and functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Charles Darwin's brilliant discovery challenged the creationist arguments; but only Richard Dawkins could have written this elegant riposte.
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Excellent Discussion
- By Langer MD on 2020-02-23
Written by: Richard Dawkins
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Kindred
- Written by: Rebecca Wragg Sykes
- Narrated by: Rebecca Wragg Sykes
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Kindred, Neanderthal expert Becky Wragg Sykes shoves aside the cliché of the shivering ragged figure in an icy wasteland and reveals the Neanderthal you don’t know, who lived across vast and diverse tracts of Eurasia and survived through hundreds of thousands of years of massive climate change. Using a thematic rather than chronological approach, this book will shed new light on where they lived, what they ate and the increasingly complex Neanderthal culture that is being discovered.
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-
Thought-provoking, riveting book
- By cellarpat on 2021-01-09
Written by: Rebecca Wragg Sykes
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Letters from an Astrophysicist
- Written by: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Vikas Adam, Piper Goodeve, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has attracted one of the world’s largest online followings with his fascinating, widely accessible insights into science and our universe. Now, Tyson invites us to go behind the scenes of his public fame by unveiling his candid correspondence with people across the globe who have sought him out in search of answers. In this hand-picked collection of 100 letters, Tyson draws upon cosmic perspectives to address a vast array of questions about science, faith, philosophy, life, and of course, Pluto.
-
-
Terrific
- By Ally on 2020-10-15
Written by: Neil deGrasse Tyson
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Viral
- The Search for the Origin of COVID-19
- Written by: Matt Ridley, Alina Chan
- Narrated by: Gavin Osborn
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A new virus descended on the human species in 2019 wreaking unprecedented havoc. Nearly two years into the pandemic, the crucial mystery of the origin of SARS-CoV-2 is not only unresolved but has deepened. In this uniquely insightful book, a scientist and a writer join forces to try to get to the bottom of how a virus whose closest relations live in bats in subtropical southern China somehow managed to begin spreading among people more than 1,500 kilometers away in the city of Wuhan.
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fascinating and so important
- By edd on 2022-03-10
Written by: Matt Ridley, and others
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The Fight for History
- 75 Years of Forgetting, Remembering, and Remaking Canada's Second World War
- Written by: Tim Cook
- Narrated by: J. D. Nicholsen
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Second World War shaped modern Canada. It led to the country's emergence as a middle power on the world stage; the rise of the welfare state; industrialization, urbanization, and population growth. After the war, Canada increasingly turned toward the United States in matters of trade, security, and popular culture, which then sparked a desire to strengthen Canadian nationalism from the threat of American hegemony. The Fight for History examines how Canadians framed and reframed the war experience over time.
-
-
This explains a lot
- By B Goff on 2020-11-18
Written by: Tim Cook
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The Rise and Reign of the Mammals
- A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us
- Written by: Steve Brusatte
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Rise and Fall of the Mammals has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.
-
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Excellent Follow Up That Stands On It’s Own
- By Sebastian on 2022-07-12
Written by: Steve Brusatte
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The Blind Watchmaker
- Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Blind Watchmaker, knowledgably narrated by author Richard Dawkins, is as prescient and timely a book as ever. The watchmaker belongs to the 18th-century theologian William Paley, who argued that just as a watch is too complicated and functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Charles Darwin's brilliant discovery challenged the creationist arguments; but only Richard Dawkins could have written this elegant riposte.
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Excellent Discussion
- By Langer MD on 2020-02-23
Written by: Richard Dawkins
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The Illuminati
- The Secret Society That Hijacked the World
- Written by: Jim Marrs
- Narrated by: Terrence Bayes
- Length: 19 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Chilling initiations. Big banks and money manipulations. Possible links to the Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Adamses, and Bushes. Reviewing the evidence, documents, and connections, The Illuminati: The Secret Society That Hijacked the World by award-winning journalist and author Jim Marrs shines a light on the history, workings, continuing influence, and pernicious and hidden power of this secret order. Surveying experts, Marrs cuts through the wild speculation and the attempts to silence critical thinkers to tell the true story of this secret cabal.
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Curious
- By Mike D. on 2020-05-11
Written by: Jim Marrs
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Music Is History
- Written by: Ahmir Khalib Thompson, Questlove
- Narrated by: Questlove
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
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Best-selling author and Sundance award-winning director Questlove harnesses his encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and his deep curiosity about history to examine America over the past 50 years. Choosing one essential track from each year, Questlove unpacks each song’s significance, revealing the pivotal role that American music plays around issues of race, gender, politics, and identity.
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Music and history
- By snickels on 2023-11-16
Written by: Ahmir Khalib Thompson, and others
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The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
- Written by: Robert Garland, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Garland
- Length: 24 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
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Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.
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Loved it!
- By Trent T on 2018-10-29
Written by: Robert Garland, and others
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A Brief History of China
- Dynasty, Revolution and Transformation: From the Middle Kingdom to the People's Republic
- Written by: Jonathan Clements
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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In his retelling of a Chinese history stretching back 5,000 years, author and China-expert Jonathan Clements focuses on the human stories which led to the powerful transformations in Chinese society - from the unification of China under its first emperor, Qinshi Huangdi, to the Mongol invasion under Genghis Khan and the consolidation of Communist rule under Mao Zedong. Clements even brings listeners through to the present day, outlining China's economic renaissance under Deng Xiaoping and Xi Jinping.
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Excellent introduction to to Chinese history
- By Andrew on 2023-09-08
Written by: Jonathan Clements
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The Greatest
- My Own Story
- Written by: Muhammad Ali, Richard Durham
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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In his own words, the heavyweight champion of the world pulls no punches as he chronicles the battles he faced in and out of the ring in this fascinating memoir edited by Nobel Prize-winning novelist, Toni Morrison. Growing up in the South, surrounded by racial bigotry and discrimination, Ali fought not just for a living, but also for respect and rewards far more precious than money or glory. He was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the BBC.
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timeless
- By Nathan Rothstein on 2020-09-18
Written by: Muhammad Ali, and others
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The Search for Modern China
- Written by: Jonathan D. Spence
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 36 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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The history of China is as rich and strange as that of any country on earth. Yet for many, China’s history remains unknown, or known only through the stylized images that generations in the West have cherished or reviled as truth. With his command of character and event - the product of 30 years of research and reflection in the field - Spence dispels those myths in a powerful narrative. Over four centuries of Chinese history, Spence fashions the astonishing story of the effort to achieve a modern China.
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Takes some getting used to, but great work.
- By Alexandre Lariviere on 2021-10-28
Written by: Jonathan D. Spence
Publisher's Summary
A behind-the-scenes account of the discovery of the oldest skeleton of a human ancestor, named "Ardi"—a find that shook the world of paleoanthropology and radically altered our understanding of human evolution.
In 1994, a team led by fossil-hunting legend Tim White—"the Steve Jobs of paleoanthropology"—uncovered the bones of a human ancestor in Ethiopia's Afar region. Radiometric dating of nearby rocks indicated the skeleton, classified as Ardipithecus ramidus, was 4.4 million years old, more than a million years older than "Lucy," then the oldest known human ancestor. The findings challenged many assumptions about human evolution—how we started walking upright, how we evolved our nimble hands, and, most significantly, whether we were descended from an ancestor that resembled today's chimpanzee—and repudiated a half-century of paleoanthropological orthodoxy.
Fossil Men is the first full-length exploration of Ardi, the fossil men who found her, and her impact on what we know about the origins of the human species. It is a scientific detective story played out in anatomy and the natural history of the human body. Kermit Pattison brings into focus a cast of eccentric, obsessive scientists, including one of the world's greatest fossil hunters, Tim White—an exacting and unforgiving fossil hunter whose virtuoso skills in the field were matched only by his propensity for making enemies; Gen Suwa, a Japanese savant who sometimes didn't bother going home at night to devote more hours to science; Owen Lovejoy, a onetime creationist-turned-paleoanthropologist; Berhane Asfaw, who survived imprisonment and torture to become Ethiopia's most senior paleoanthropologist and who fought for African scientists to gain equal footing in the study of human origins; and the Leakeys, for decades the most famous family in paleoanthropology.
An intriguing tale of scientific discovery, obsession and rivalry that moves from the sun-baked desert of Africa and a nation caught in a brutal civil war, to modern high-tech labs and academic lecture halls, Fossil Men is popular science at its best, and a must-listen for fans of Jared Diamond, Richard Dawkins, and Edward O. Wilson.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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What listeners say about Fossil Men
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Chelsea Colbourne
- 2021-08-01
Outstanding!
Pattison's representation of the Arti story entices the reader to delve deeper into humanitie's history, while Wayne's narration leaves you with individual representation of the stories members. Overall, a fantastic read that questions the direction of scientific study under modernist pressures.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Paul
- 2021-01-21
Oh narrator
I would wager that Tim White or Owen Lovejoy could not listen to the end of the audio version with a single hair on their heads intact. The slaughter of pronunciation of anatomical and scientific terms was exhausting. Not the narrator (actor) fault. The audiobook publisher should review scientific term pronunciation beforehand with the narrator. Excellent story.
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77 people found this helpful
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- Bob Speeter
- 2021-01-02
Exceptionally Researched and Very Well Written
I have always been fascinated by physical anthropology so this book was an easy selection. The author shared his meticulous research in an engaging style that opened my eyes to the incredible dedication of field scientists in this field. I mistakenly believed that scientists freely shared their discoveries, in a selfless desire to help others in a common pursuit. Not so in anthropology. Glad I chose a different field of science. Great science book for those that are interested in important historical discoveries and current views on the evolution of our species.
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39 people found this helpful
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- mark
- 2020-11-14
really good
A number of things surprised me about this book. How crazy competition is, and how petty and valley girl certain authoritys can be at times. I found it fascinating. After watching the interview on JRE, I had to get the book and it wasn't disappointing. Kinda dry at times, but worth finishing. definitely should be on your wish list
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37 people found this helpful
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- Skyhawk
- 2021-05-21
Absolutely fabulous, but probably better read than heard
I am a retired veterinarian and fascinated by evolutionary biology, so I grabbed this book when it came up as a Daily Deal. I hadn’t a clue other than the title, which I realized is a pun on “fossil men” being used to describe both archaic hominids and the researchers who hunt for their remains. The scope of the book is broad and covers both subjects in detail. The accompanying PDF is excellent.
You can read it to learn about how the scientific process works to incorporate discoveries that may destroy long-cherished hypotheses. Or to learn about how the egos and pre-existing beliefs of academics can both further and inhibit progress in understanding the evolution of man. Or how the fluctuating politics of Ethiopia affected researchers. For me, the best part was the level of detail covering the process of determining whether Ardi was an ape or a humanoid. Because I am familiar with bones and the significance of the bumps on them, I really appreciated the expertise of the geniuses who examined her and the author’s excellence in explaining their conclusions. At first I felt frustrated by the discussion of academics and their disagreements when I really wanted more about the fossils, but I came to realize how important academic rivalries have been to the public’s understanding of Ardi.
The book’s easy-reading narrative style makes a textbook amount of information quite palatable. My only quibble with the narrator, who does a great job otherwise, is the mispronunciation of place names and anatomical terms. The book mentions more than a dozen researchers including paleoanthropologists, osteologists, anatomists, illustrators and computer modelers, but focuses primarily on UC Berkeley scholar Tim White and his team exploring the middle Awash region of Ethiopia.
It took me about a week to listen to it because I needed to ponder and absorb the information before moving on. I may even listen again. Reading would make it much easier to keep track of the names of various people to remember who they are when they come up again, sometimes mentioned only as first names.
This very well-written book is a must-read for anyone interested in human evolution.
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11 people found this helpful
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- Curmud the prof
- 2021-04-30
Intriguing!
I am a scientist (not anthropologist) and compliment both the author and the narrator for deep digging (pun intended) into the both science and the scientists. This is a marvelous treatise - at least for nerds like me.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Daryll Brosanders
- 2021-04-29
A reminder of why I don’t work in academia
A very good summary of the search for the fossils of ancient human ancestors during the last 40 years. I would have preferred less time spent on the rivalry between scientists. Instead I was hoping for a deeper dive into the science. The descriptions of the science was sometimes cursory while the political rivalry between labs was described exhaustively.
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8 people found this helpful
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- LJB NM
- 2021-04-26
FABULOUS INSIGHT INTO THE HIDDEN WARS AMONG PALEONTOLOGISTS
Lous Leakey and the famous Leakey family; you know about them right? Do you know about Tim White? Remember the Time-Life books on anthropology with it’s famous image of the various hominids, (or hominin if you prefer) in purported chronological order of evolution? For those of us that do, or those of that were ever interested or curious in Anthropology (no Paleontology) this is the fascinating update now 4.5 million years into our past, with all the infighting, speculation, honesty and dishonesty of the discipline.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Jennifer Azzarone
- 2021-08-15
Most memorable
In the years that I have been using Audible this book captivated me the most. It's hit and miss even if you read the reviews, due to personal tase. The real life characters were so well developed and described, locations as well were made so interesting that I was looking at maps to see where all of this was happening. I loved this book so much. It was fun to read and an incredible lesson in fossil history as well.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 2021-06-16
a must read for any interested in the subject
It is a great sadness that the world of paleatology is also bedevilled by politics. The history of mankind and in fact all living creatures belongs to us all and should not be under the control of countries that are cursed with bribery and corruption and fossils vulnerable to destruction by war and vandalism. Just because a fossil is found in a particular country should make it that country's property.
This book also provides one of the most insightful discussions on homo erectus I have read. The author is fair and as unbiased as I think is reasonable for the subject matter.
What I enjoyed most is the in-depth discussion about broader and more plausible picture of the development of man and ape.
I think it must be one of the more up-to-date books on the discovery and examination of fossils.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Edmund
- 2021-05-19
Pretty good
Lots of good science about an interesting topic. But the author includes irrelevant side stories and too much information. Would have been a better story with some heavy editing.
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3 people found this helpful