Eugene Linden

Deep Past begins when an anthropologist studying elephant communication is called to Kazakhstan to examine an array of carefully arranged fossilized bones that appear to be from elephants. How did elephants get to Kazakhstan five million years ago?

I like this premise, but it is too bad that Michael Crichton wasn’t around to offer some technical advice on how to develop the scientific idea and make the political thriller more thrilling.

Twenty years on I remember this book well. I read it in the early eighties. The word pictures the book painted of previously happy people madly desiring encyclopaedias; and happy haitian locals relaxing on the beach while northerners slaved away working has been with me ever since. I remember reading sections twice because it was such an eye opener to me. I had never heard of cargo culture before. A great read. Every shopaholic should read it! For me it was like discovering body language or show more seeing myself in a mirror for the first time. Never again would I be taken for a ride by a salesman. Now that I have nothing I am happy and I understand why. Highly recommended. Thanks Eugene. show less

I loved this book! I have talked about this book to friends and acquaintances more than perhaps any other (except maybe Linden's The Octopus and The Orangutan.) There are so many fascinating stories in it about the often overlooked capacity of animals (other than humans) to feel, express and act on their emotions. Linden struggles to avoid anthropomorphizing the animals whose stories of intelligence, compassion and communication he tells, but argues that such a struggle does not preclude show more recognizing these dimensions/abilities in our fellow creatures. Above all, Linden communicates a sense of wonder in exploring the worlds of beings whose existence is not as alien as we might think, nor as separate from humanity as some scientists would have us believe. show less

Eugene Linden draws on his investigations into what makes humans different from other species in creating Deep Past, a fast-paced story with a vivid setting. One thing that he makes crystal clear is all the plotting, schemes, and political machinations that are rife in that area of the world. Paleontology and archaeology buffs are also going to enjoy this book that gathers power and speed like a freight train.

I hadn't realized quite how difficult it is to get the scientific community to show more accept new thinking, so that's one thing that I'm grateful to Deep Past for. If it doesn't concern data that can be seen, touched, and turned into a statistic for a report, discoveries can be easily dismissed, which means that anything to do with animal intelligence gets very short shrift indeed.

One character in Deep Past says, "Oddly, the public is ready to embrace animal intelligence, but not the notion that climate change is a killer." This particular member of the public believes climate change is a clear and present danger and also embraces animal intelligence. Linden's book contains so much food for thought about animal intelligence, but even though I enjoyed the story and am still ruminating over what the author has to say, I didn't quite buy the complete premise of the book. But what a fascinating and recommended read! show less