I read this book in 2017, but it was published in 2000. As a result, some of the information in this book is outdated, not necessarily wrong, just missing additional pieces. This isn't a bad thing, nor a reflection on the book - in a field where a certain find can change entire histories, its bound to get outdated fast.

The book itself take an interesting look at the science of Evolution and Anthropology. The history is quite interesting, for example, for a large period of time, scientists thought Java, Indonesia was the birthplace of modern man (although Darwin, the grandfather of evolution, thought it would be Africa). Early pioneers in the field were still lone scientists, whose opinions (for better, or worst) could sway entire opinions, those people who dissented often ostracized or laughed at.

A number of chapters were dedicated to the disagreement of two research groups, sharing facilities and staff - this was a bit long, and didn't add much to the book. I found it tedious, and too much he said, she said.

As for the last few chapters, hinting at human ancestry is more of a bush, with breeding between modern and primitive humans happening is now an accepted theory in the field. Denisovan Humans weren't even an idea when this book was written. ( )

(posted on my blog: davenichols.net)

The discovery of the Java Man skeleton was one of the groundbreaking moments in paleontology and anthropology, providing a key piece of predicted but, until that point, largely absent evidence for near-human ancestors. Here, in a book written by Roger Lewin but credited as well to Carl Swisher and Garniss Curtis, the history of the discovery and related events is described. An interesting subject, the book nonetheless fails to thrive and instead is largely muddled and dull.

The first part of the book is by far the most interesting as the authors describe the finding of Java Man and the efforts required over the years to study the specimen. If the rest of the book had maintained the pace, level of detail, and science content, it would have been a recommended resource for popular anthropology and science readers.

However, the book takes a turn for the worse as the authors fall into a long section detailing the office politics which saw their research threatened from forces allied against them within their organization. While somewhat interesting, this digression from the story of Java Man breaks the narrative in a way which damages the reader's enjoyment and wonder.

The last section feels tacked on, as if the authors recognized that the book was not nearly long enough to warrant publication. So, a section on anthropology and human populations in general is presented which harbors very little information about Java Man or of the events which surrounded the fossils. A basic discussion of the subject, this section failed to produce any meaningful addition to the book itself or to the field of popular anthropology.

Java Man left me feeling unfulfilled, as if the story itself never warranted a book length treatment. The last two sections, which make up the majority of the work, are largely unnecessary for the reader and offer little on-topic information that wasn't already detailed in the opening chapters. Not specifically recommended for anyone, though it may be of interest to those who seek popular anthropological histories. Two and one-half stars. ( )

It is with great trepidation that a layperson reviews a science book that is eight years old. I found this book extremely interesting. The book, actually written by Roger Lewin, tells about the work of Garniss H. Curtis and Carl Celso Swisher III is dating the fossils of Homo erectus in Java. In the process, it gives some of the history of the discovery and analyses of the fossils. They found that the fossils cover a much wider period of time than previously thought meaning that Homo erectus spread from Africa much earlier than previously thought, and persisted until much later. In the midst, they detail their side of the split between the Institute of Human Origins and their own Berkeley Geochronology Group. The reader may find this unprofessional sniping or a fascinating revelation of egos and politics. I wonder, however, if their frankness has not created some professional enemies. If they ever hope to test the Java fossils again, Teuku Jacob, in Indonesia, may not be too happy with them. ( )

Java man/Human evolution/Geochronometry