Becoming Human: Evolution and Human Uniqueness

by Ian Tattersall

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Taking the reader around the world, stopping in France to examine 30,000-year-old cave paintings, in Africa to see where our earliest ancestors left their bones, and in remote forests to spy on our closest relatives, the great apes, Tattersall keeps his focus on the big questions. This book is thus not only about evolution but about the meaning of our existence on this planet and our relationship to the living world. Tattersall breathes life into the human remains, searches the ancient sites show more for culture as well as fossils, and brings us cutting-edge research on other primates' "language," tool making, and social cooperation. What makes us really different, and what is the future of our species? Becoming Human answers these questions. show less

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Tattersall's work is a fascinating exploration of human evolution and the separate species that led up to our own, as well as the true details which make us a unique species. Detailing anthropological discoveries from around the world, along with case studies and experiments related to primates and to psychology, Tattersall moves through the territory of human evolution in an engaging and approachable style. While some of the later chapters verge on being repetitive in some notes from the early broader chapters, and in some cases go into more detail than the average reader might prefer, the work as a whole is worthwhile and readable. Whether the material here is wholly new to readers or somewhat familiar, there's bound to be material show more here that is worth note and reflection for nearly any reader.

Recommended for any interested party.
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Human evolution/Primates > Evolution/Fossil hominids/Social evolution

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35+ Works 1,862 Members
Ian Tattersall, PhD, is Curator Emeritus in the Division of Anthropology of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where he co-curated the Spitzer Hall of Human Origins. He is an acknowledged leader in the study of the human fossil record, and has won several awards, including the W. W. Howells Prize of the American Association show more of Physical Anthropologists. Tattersall has appeared on Charlie Rose and NPR's Science Friday, and has written for Scientific American and Archaeology. He's been widely cited by the media, including The New York Times, BBC, MSNBC, and National Geographic. Tattersall is the author of some twenty titles, including Becoming Human: Evolution and Human Uniqueness. He lives in Greenwich Village. show less

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Classifications

Genres
Anthropology, Science & Nature, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction
DDC/MDS
599.938Natural sciences & mathematicsAnimalsMammalsHomo sapiensGenetics, sex and age characteristics, evolutionEvolution
LCC
GN281 .T355Geography, Anthropology and RecreationAnthropologyAnthropologyPhysical anthropology. SomatologyHuman evolution
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Members
250
Popularity
129,332
Reviews
2
Rating
½ (3.58)
Languages
English, French, Italian, Spanish
Media
Paper
ISBNs
10