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    The Origin of Humankind
    The Origin of Humankind
    The Origin of Humankind
    Audiobook6 hours

    The Origin of Humankind

    Written by Richard Leakey

    Narrated by John Curless

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    "The name Leakey is synonymous with the study of human origins," wrote The New York Times. The renowned family of paleontologists-Louis Leakey, Mary Leakey, and their son Richard Leakey-has vastly expanded our understanding of human evolution. The Origin of Humankind is Richard Leakey's personal view of the development of Homo Sapiens. At the heart of his new picture of evolution is the introduction of a heretical notion: once the first apes walked upright, the evolution of modern humans became possible and perhaps inevitable. From this one evolutionary step comes all the other evolutionary refinements and distinctions that set the human race apart from the apes. In fascinating sections on how and why modern humans developed a social organization, culture, and personal behavior, Leakey has much of interest to say about the development of art, language, and human consciousness.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJun 29, 2018
    ISBN9781501996139
    The Origin of Humankind
    Author

    Richard Leakey

    Richard Leakey has written several books on the origin of mankind and wildlife preservation including Wildlife Wars: My Battle to Save Kenya's Elephants. He lives in Nairobi with his wife Maeve, who continues to work as a paleontologist.

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    Reviews for The Origin of Humankind

    4/5

    65 ratings2 reviews

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    • 5/5
      A very readable basic introduction to the key issues and debates in this field, and pointers to more detailed reading. The author has his own opinions, but sets out the terms of the debate in a fair way. The only specific point I would question is the use of the term "human" to describe all bipedal homin(o)ids, even those living before any use of stone technology or language. The book could also usefully have had some more illustrations, especially in the chapter on art.
    • 4/5
      A bargain buy in a charity shop - the only thing that stops me giving it 5 stars is the fact that I believe it may be a little dated (simply by advances in the field in the last 15 years).The author is a great writer, and the name-dropping on the first few pages is quickly forgotten; he deserves to drop some names.This is an account of some of the key developments in human history, from learning to walk upright to developing language and art. At each stage he reviews the debates in the field (which are many) and usually advances his own view and his reservations. I wish all top scientists and researchers could present their field like this.However the discussion of timelines for (e.g. language development) may have been superseded by subsequent discoveries - while I believe this to be the case, this is not in any way my field so I do not know. If there is an updated version of this book, read it; if there isn't, there should be!