The Incredible Human Journey |
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Author:
Alice Roberts
By Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Average Customer Rating: 
List Price: £20.00
Our Price: £8.89
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 Love it, 2010-01-05
If you liked the series, you will like this. Its more detailed so you feel you're getting more bang for your buck.
 An Incredible Story, 2009-11-06
If, like me, you find the idea of the discovery of artefacts tens of thousands of years old truly awesome this is a book for you. The distances of time identified in this book are almost incomprehensible but, as you read, mind-boggling figures such as 30,000-70,000 years ago, begin to feel relatively recent. There were times when I wished I had studied science instead of arts but, despite the figures and statistics, this book is a compelling read for anyone interested in evolutionary history and anthropology. As the sub-title suggests, it tells a story or rather, stories, of human lives and builds convincing narratives out of the available evidence. These narratives make the deep past and the people who lived in those times come alive to today's readers while, at the same time, the stories Roberts tells are supported with serious scholarship. If I have any niggles, they are that there are a lot of typos early on in the book which proof-reading ought to have picked up and I thought the dust-jacket a bit uninspiring ... just, well, beige and brown. But, this is a book to be recommended - an extraordinary read and one which puts our present problems into a very different perspective.
A fascinating read, 2009-11-24
With this book, Alice Roberts has succeeded in providing the general reader with a clear and accessible introduction to our ancient human ancestry. She visits some of the key sites in the field and examines the evidence first-hand. Current theories are expounded with great lucidity and woven into an entertaining account of her travels. Several journeys are undertaken which require considerable stamina, such as the trek to the Omo findspot in sweltering heat; the long voyage by raft in the Indonesian islands; and the cold and lengthy sleigh-ride in Siberia. But Alice is equally bold in her approach to garnering evidence: she is not afraid to challenge the views held by experts and frequently offers possible alternative explanations.
The book is nicely illustrated with sketches, maps and photos, whilst the text manages to combine erudition with 'the personal touch'. So for anyone wanting to find out more about our human origins, 'The Incredible Human Journey' would make a great starting-point.
The Incredible Human Journey, 2009-12-28
A beautiful, fascinating book, which was bought as an 80th birthday gift to an old friend who is studying anthropology for the sheer enjoyment of it. He was absolutely delighted with it.
Incredible or Incredulous?, 2009-12-10
This is a disappointing book which sets out to "track the presence of our ancestors through the traces of their behaviour". Roberts concludes that we all have one maternal grandmother. Theoretically, it could be the case. Indeed, we could all be related to one another (and going far enough back the logic just about stands up) but, bearing in mind the uncertainties and controversies surrounding the field of palaeoanthropology, Roberts' conclusion is as convincing as whistling in the dark.
In practice, she hoists her colours to the "recent African origin" theory far too hastily and with insufficient acknowledgement of alternative theories. In addition, instead of questioning why Darwin believed homo sapiens originated in Africa, she assumes it is proved by the fossil evidence. Palaeoanthropology calls on evidence from a number of sources including fossils, geology, genetics and linguistics. Much of this is shrouded in mystery although it does not prevent Roberts from speculating on how contemporary populations arose.
This is buttressed by tracing maternal lineages from mitochondrial DNA and the Y chromosome rather than relying on population genetics. This is used as a means of supporting the notion that human genetic diversity is small and may be the result of adaptation and random genetic drift. For a scientific subject there appears to be a lot of political correctness based on Darwin's ideas of a single common ancestor. The impression is that Roberts spent a year looking for evidence to support what she already believed rather than questioning what she believed and seeing what the evidence suggested.
The underlying thesis, associated with Stephen Oppenheimer, is that early migrations from East Africa travelled to the West and South of the continent. Later migration saw the populating of Asia from India to Australia with subsequent migrations to Europe and the Americas as climate change permitted. It's a fascinating story but reminiscent of the tale of the two goats one of which ate a reel of film. When asked what it was like the first goat replied, "Not as good as the book." The reverse is true here. Many of the details Roberts lovingly recalls page after page will have formed a fleeting part of the BBC TV series but weigh down the narrative when presented in written form. It's surprising Roberts did not spend more time reflecting on how humankind, whose young require protection far longer than other species, were able to make such migrations and reproduce within the allotted time scale.
In fairness, I don't share Roberts' enthusiasm for her chosen subject and it would probably have been better to have read the book alongside the television series. What became clear is that palaeoanthropology is a subject which thrives on very little evidence and involves a great deal of speculation. This situation is unlikely to change and Roberts' book - and others like it - will be considered authoritative until more definitive evidence becomes available.
I thought long and hard before awarding it four stars. I wouldn't recommend it because I didn't enjoy it and I wouldn't buy a copy because I have no difficulty sleeping already. However, others will have a different perspective and most reviewers clearly enjoyed it more than I did. The only sensible way is to judge for yourself.
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Binding: Hardcover
EAN: 9780747598398
ISBN: 0747598398
Label: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: 2009-05-05
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Studio: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC |
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