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mimmaz's review against another edition
4.0
I saw people going back and forth in the reviews about this being a rehash of facts they already knew, but I think it might be a case of expert bias; as someone approaching this subject for the first time, I found it very interesting. The writing was easy to digest but not always engaging, and I liked that it was organized by subject (from her magazine columns) and not in the usual “ancient-to-modern” timeline approach.
kevin_shepherd's review against another edition
4.0
Sang-Hee Lee, Ph.D., is a professor of anthropology at the University of California Riverside. Her articles on human prehistory and primate evolution, previously published in a leading Korean science magazine, have been collected here in an accessible and comprehensible book format.
Professor Lee writes on a variety of anthropological topics: the short history of cannibalism, the birth of fatherhood, our first hominid ancestors, big brains and birth canals, omnivorous scavenging, lactose tolerance, the misconception of race, the dawn of agriculture, the mysterious disappearance of Peking Man, and the rise of reciprocal altruism—just to name a few.
As with any collection of articles or essays, some are more interesting than others. My personal favorite is Dr. Lee’s composition on the fossil history of “King Kong,” a.k.a. Gigantopithecus blacki. There is a lot here for science nerds (like me) to revel in, but the style and (obvious) enthusiasm of the author should make this an enjoyable read for anyone with even a mild interest in evolution and/or paleontology.
Professor Lee writes on a variety of anthropological topics: the short history of cannibalism, the birth of fatherhood, our first hominid ancestors, big brains and birth canals, omnivorous scavenging, lactose tolerance, the misconception of race, the dawn of agriculture, the mysterious disappearance of Peking Man, and the rise of reciprocal altruism—just to name a few.
As with any collection of articles or essays, some are more interesting than others. My personal favorite is Dr. Lee’s composition on the fossil history of “King Kong,” a.k.a. Gigantopithecus blacki. There is a lot here for science nerds (like me) to revel in, but the style and (obvious) enthusiasm of the author should make this an enjoyable read for anyone with even a mild interest in evolution and/or paleontology.
linguisticali's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.5
This was ok, but not entirely convincing. A passing reference to the debunked idea that protein deficiency alone causes kwashiorkor and another uncritical comment on how we're all fat and unhealthy now, like in Supersize Me, made me question how much else in here was inaccurate.
diar's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cannibalism
carrie_grace_doss's review
funny
informative
medium-paced
4.0
This book was actually so understandable! I enjoyed the unique (and sometimes quirky) storytelling by Lee, it truly helped me comprehend the paleoanthropological concepts so much better. Each topic is relevant and interesting without forcing a particular viewpoint on you. It’s definitely a book my parents could read!