Understanding Human Evolution (Understanding Life)

Really well written and organized. Explain some concepts very well that I've read other books that didn't do as good a job

Concise, very up-to-date information in a readable easy-to-understand format. Highly recommended.

Nice book for an introduction into the topic. If you have already read lot or more in depth books, it will appear some topics cover the surface. But, a readable book and great for somebody wanting the basics.

I really enjoyed reading Understanding Human Evolution and learned a lot from it. I especially appreciated the information about finds of the last 10 to 15 year, recent DNA studies, and the relationships between Homo Sapiens Neanderthals and Denisovans. I love Dr. Tattersall’s entertaining style and the way he emphasized the plethora of historical cousins and the reluctance of many professionals to go beyond Australopiths and Homo. His interpretation of the emergence of Homo Sapiens and the emphasis on symbolic thought was fascinating. And the epilogue "Summary of Common Misunderstandings” was great!

It would be easy to write a relatively dull book about human evolution. This book is simply fascinating. The author readily admits where the fossil record is lacking and acknowledges the questions that yet to have good answers. His coverage of the history of paleontology is excellent and provides the reader with insights into both the various personalities involved as well as the sources for current controversy in the field. His coverage of the Neanderthals, their fall, and the concurrent rise of Homo Sapiens is top notch. His included commentary about who “we” are in the truly grand scale of things provides food for deep thought. I’d enthusiastically recommend this book for anyone with even a passing interest in the subject matter.

I am a retired genetics professor, and for years I have enjoyed the exciting and rapidly expanding field of human evolution. There have been many research articles and books to read, but it has been difficult to get an overall picture of this field. This is the best book I have read. It is only 182 pages, but it is the most comprehensive and concise presentation that I have found.

Tattersall has a vast and deep knowledge of human evolution and the smarts to pull many insights. Just remember that many of these insights are inevitably hypothetical.

This book provides a clear, sophisticated and up-to-date treatment of a complex subject, which is of critical importance for coping with the increasingly fateful issues facing the human species. Therefore it is highly recommended to decision makers. However, beyond the main narrative, the book is far too optimistic. Thus, it stated ““We are not the hapless victims of atavistic impulse: instead, we really do have choices, and we truly are individually responsible for what we do” (page 149). This conclusion is not warranted by the main contents. It is not clear that the symbolic capacities of the human brain are able to comprehend complex global problems. Slaughter is a constitutive feature of human history, Individuals, with single exceptions, are largely shaped and constrained by social environments, Tribal atavism is endemic. And so on.Professor Yehezkel DrorThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Covers a complex area in a thoughtful and informative way. Plenty of detail which focuses on the excitement of the subject.

Full of up to date information, but perhaps too much for a book of this size.