Product Description
The epic story of our evolution in seven big steps!
How did we become who we are? With trademark wit, acclaimed science writer Pamela S. Turner breaks down human evolution into the seven most important steps leading to Homo sapiens. How, when, and why did we:
1.stand up,
2.smash rocks,
3.get swelled heads,
4.take a hike,
5.invent barbecue,
6.start talking (and never shut up), and
7.become storytellers?
This fascinating, wickedly funny account of our evolutionary journey turns science into an irresistible story. Vetted by experts at the Smithsonian's Human Origins Program, the book also features incredibly detailed portraits by celebrated paleo-artist John Gurche that bring our early ancestors to life.
From School Library Journal
Gr 5 Up-This entertaining and informative look at the history of human evolution follows our hominid predecessors throughout history. Chapters detail major milestones in evolution, including how our ancestors learned to walk, use fire, and talk to one another. The tone is factual and conversational, and humorous footnotes will keep middle grade readers engaged. Turner does more than simply state the facts, speaking to the historical significance of each. The ability to convey detailed and well-researched information in a riveting narrative style is the greatest strength of this title. Color photos and sepia-toned illustrations add context and will engage visual learners. The extensive back matter includes notes, glossary, further reading, a time line, and bibliography. The author's note addresses the exclusion of a discussion of race in the main text. The final chapter concludes with a reminder that together we can problem solve to make a difference, just as we have done throughout history-a message that will resonate with many younger readers. VERDICT This well-researched account of human evolution is a first purchase for library collections.-Katharine Gatcombα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review
♦ "Evolution is a journey, not a destination." The paths and branches of human evolution, from our primate ancestors to Homo sapiens, are thoroughly covered over seven chapters (with titles like "We Get Swelled Heads" and "We Invent Barbecue"). The book shows how physical traits, social behaviors, intelligence and empathy, and hte ability to teach and talk afforded advantages to various hominid species. Turner is a consummate storyteller: her steady pace through millions of years of the human evolutionary line is buoyed by an amused stance, joke-filled footnotes, well-timed shifts into second person, and modern-day analogies attuned to a middle-grade audience. At the same time, she is meticulous in emphasizing the main underlying concepts of evolutionary science: her terms are precise, her representations of scientific knowledge clearly differentiate between hypothesis and established fact, and she confronts minsconceptions head on (see especially a powerful statement about the unscientific construct of race: "race is a cultural construct, not a biological reality"). The main text includes numerous diagrams and maps; photographs of landscapes, fossils, artifacts, and modern animals; and artisic, and modern animals; and artistic interpretations of long-extinct species. It's followed by another fifty pages of notes and resources, timelines, and a glossary.
—The Horn Book, starred review
♦ A probing look into what fossil evidence and other scientific discoveries tell us about our hominid predecessors. Turner kicks off this overview of human evolutionary history with an amusing quip: “If evolution had a motto it would be Yeah. Good enough.” She then goes on to detail seven watershed moments, beginning with “Step One: We Stand Up.” Also covered are: the emergence of toolmaking; the development of larger and more complex brains; the migration of Homo erectus out of Africa; the shift from raw to cook
