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A review by kevin_shepherd
Close Encounters with Humankind: A Paleoanthropologist Investigates Our Evolving Species by Sang-Hee Lee
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.