Gr 5 Up—A fascinating narrative on the history of our species from 66 million years ago to now. Turner has
transformed a dense topic into an easy-to-understand and enjoyable j

Very conversational in tone and, of course, great information about human evolution. ( )

This book looked really promising, so I checked it out. But then, I read a few passages, and was disconcerted by their clunkiness. Good quality paper and excellent photographs, so I may try again.

The table of contents alerts the reader to the fact that this is a book with a sense of humor ("We Stand Up," "We Smash Rocks," "We Get Swelled Heads," "We Take A Hike," "We Invent Barbecue," "We Start Talking (And Never Shut Up)," "We Become Storytellers"), but it's also a fantastically clear and informative story of human evolution. Photos, illustrations, and maps throughout provide helpful visual aids, and footnotes are usually funny.

Back matter: author's notes, glossary, time line, a more complete list of the hominin family, recommended books and websites, acknowledgments, sources, bibliography, image credits, index

Quotes

Remember: natural selection works upon whatever is around. A trait doesn't have to be perfect or optimal to be passed on. It just has to be a little but better than what came before. If evolution had a motto, it would be Yeah. Good enough. (14)

Evolution is a journey, not a destination. It produces different outcomes in different places because different environments select for different traits. (28)

...just because one species evolves from another doesn't necessarily mean the first species goes extinct. (speciation, 45)

Teaching is a way of pooling knowledge and benefiting from other people's experiences. Through teaching, we speed up learning of essential information. Through teaching, we avoid constantly reinventing the wheel.
Teaching is surprisingly rare in nature. The scientific definition of teaching is strict: the teacher must vary their behavior in a way that benefits the learner but costs the teacher. (55)

An innovation wont make much of an impact if it isn't shared. An innovation that isn't shared can't be improved upon by others, either. (65)

In everyday conversation "I have a theory" means "I'm guessing." ...In science, though, "theory" has a more formal meaning. A theory is a well-tested, widely accepted explanation for a whole constellation of facts, observations, and data. (70)

We humans can communicate anything we can think of. We do this by combining a large vocabulary of words with a set of rules (grammar). Grammar allows us to manipulate words to produce an infinite variety of meanings. (77)

Human births are unusually difficult - more difficult than the births of any other mammal. (82)

As everyone knows, families are complicated. (100)

One thing is clear: Moving and mixing is what humans do. It makes us who we are. (104)

Here's a handy rule about evolution: weird things happen on islands. (106)

Collective brainpower is less about the size of our brains than the way we connect our brains together through communication and cooperation. (108)

Through stories we work out what matters. Through stories we share values and tell a collective tale about who we are and how we came to be. We are more likely to trust those who share our values. Trust enhances cooperation, and cooperation enhances survival. (110)

Through stories we can experience a person living an entirely different life. Through stories we can experience a vast range of challenging situations and intense emotions without actually suffering from them. The best stories broaden our horizons, deepen our thinking, and spark our compassion. The best stories help us make better real-world decisions. (111) ( )

Synergy: Human Evolution

Human evolution is the long process of change from now-extinct primates to a distinct species of hominid, the Homo sapien. All humans originated from ape-like ancestors that evolved over six million years.

Read the recently published nonfiction book for youth then learn more at the website.

HOW TO BUILD A HUMAN IN SEVEN EVOLUTIONARY STEPS by Pamela S. Turner mixes science with humor to tell the story of human evolution. In seven chapters focusing on the unique aspects of human development, Turner shares the story of how, when, and why we became human. Maps, photographs, and other illustrations along with a conversational approach to storytelling contribute to a fun-filled way to learn about human evolution. The book includes an author’s note, dating information, a glossary, timeline, a list of hominin members, resources, and more.

The HUMAN ORIGINS PROGRAM website from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History features exhibits, research, multimedia resources, and educational materials related to human evolution and related areas of science.

To visit the website, go to https://humanorigins.si.edu/.

ARC courtesy of Charlesbridge. ( )