<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Awesome illustrations and coverage of the specimens
Review: Covers a ton of prominent homind specimens with detailed black and white illustrations (drawings not photos) that accent the morphological features of each specimen. Includes detailed descriptions of the specimens and also a nice description at the beginning of each section. As a bonus also includes a section with non-hominid primate specimens. This book is great for anthropology students needing a quick reference to numerous specimens. It also contains numerous references to the literature about each specimen so makes a great starting point for research.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome illustrations and coverage of the specimens
Review: Covers a ton of prominent homind specimens with detailed black and white illustrations (drawings not photos) that accent the morphological features of each specimen. Includes detailed descriptions of the specimens and also a nice description at the beginning of each section. As a bonus also includes a section with non-hominid primate specimens. This book is great for anthropology students needing a quick reference to numerous specimens. It also contains numerous references to the literature about each specimen so makes a great starting point for research.
Rating: 
Summary: Narrative Fiction
Review: Okay, Australopithecus afarensis. I've heard of Lucy; I know she was found at Hadar in Ethiopia, but what is her accession number? How much of her was actually recovered? Good thing I have my copy of Larsen et al. "Human Origins: The Fossil Record" on hand.Superbly illustrated with line drawings and maps of the different fossil localities, this encyclopedic text traces human evolution from the Dawn Apes through modern Homo sapiens in the best way possible-- with the fossils. Each specimen is well drawn, most in multiple views, so that the student or amateur who can't make it to Addis Adaba to see the real thing can have a chance to compare fossil homonids from around the world. In addition, for comparative purposes, the authors have also supplied illustrations of the modern great apes. A fun and informative text either for study or just as an escape into our origins. I must emphasize, however, that the emphasis of this book is on illustrations for pictorial comparisons, not on descriptions. The text concerning each fossil, therefore, is fairly short.
Rating:
Summary: Human Origins-- A Guide
Review: Okay, Australopithecus afarensis. I've heard of Lucy; I know she was found at Hadar in Ethiopia, but what is her accession number? How much of her was actually recovered? Good thing I have my copy of Larsen et al. "Human Origins: The Fossil Record" on hand. Superbly illustrated with line drawings and maps of the different fossil localities, this encyclopedic text traces human evolution from the Dawn Apes through modern Homo sapiens in the best way possible-- with the fossils. Each specimen is well drawn, most in multiple views, so that the student or amateur who can't make it to Addis Adaba to see the real thing can have a chance to compare fossil homonids from around the world. In addition, for comparative purposes, the authors have also supplied illustrations of the modern great apes. A fun and informative text either for study or just as an escape into our origins. I must emphasize, however, that the emphasis of this book is on illustrations for pictorial comparisons, not on descriptions. The text concerning each fossil, therefore, is fairly short.
Rating:
Summary: Narrative Fiction
Review: Remember seeing all those pictures of various "hominids" lined up according to the supposed progression from apes to humans? According to Henry Gee's 2001 book, In Search of Deep Time, such scenarios are works of complete and utter narrative FICTION, unsupported by any credible understanding of the fossil record. According to Gee, all of the "hominid" fossils that have any bearing on human "evolution" can be stored in one small box. This is all of the evidence we have of human "evolution"--one small little box of fossils supposedly representing a time period of multiple millions of years. And we have more more and better fossils for "hominids" than for any other class of species, according to The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution. Look at all the pictures you want: evolution is, was, and always will be a narrative fiction, a superstition.
Rating:
Summary: Narrative Fiction
Review: Remember seeing all those pictures of various "hominids" lined up according to the supposed progression from apes to humans? According to Henry Gee's 2001 book, In Search of Deep Time, such scenarios are works of complete and utter narrative FICTION, unsupported by any credible understanding of the fossil record. According to Gee, all of the "hominid" fossils that have any bearing on human "evolution" can be stored in one small box. This is all of the evidence we have of human "evolution"--one small little box of fossils supposedly representing a time period of multiple millions of years. And we have more more and better fossils for "hominids" than for any other class of species, according to The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution. Look at all the pictures you want: evolution is, was, and always will be a narrative fiction, a superstition.
Rating:
Summary: Human Origins
Review: This book is an excellent source for students and teachers of human evolution. It is the first compilation that I have seen that puts drawings of all the major fossil finds together in one place. It is very helpful as a supplementary text in an intro human origins class since most books lack adequate pictures of the major fossil players.
Rating:
Summary: The Complete Record
Review: When you read this book you will realize why there is so much controversy about Human origins. The fossil record is so sparse, it makes you wonder how scientists have been able to deduce as much as they already have. This book was probably written as a reference for college level courses in paleoanthroplogy, but it is also a good reference for armchair amateurs such as myself. Concise, well written and superbly illustrated, the book is an invaluable resource.
<< 1 >>
| 
