In this stunningly original book, Richard Wrangham argues that it was cooking that caused the extraordinary transformation of our ancestors from apelike beings to Homo erectus. At the heart of Catching Fire lies an explosive new idea: the habit of eating cooked rather than raw food permitted the digestive tract to shrink and the human brain to grow, helped structure human society, and created the male-female division of labour. As our ancestors adapted to using fire, humans emerged as "the cooking apes". Covering everything from food-labelling and overweight pets to raw-food faddists, Catching Fire offers a startlingly original argument about how we came to be the social, intelligent, and sexual species we are today. "This notion is surprising, fresh and, in the hands of Richard Wrangham, utterly persuasive ... Big, new ideas do not come along often in evolution these days, but this is one." -Matt Ridley, author of Genome
Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human
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'Offers a startlingly original argument about how we came to be the social and intelligent species we are today.' --The Judges of the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize 2010
`A breakthrough in evolutionary biology' --Daily Telegraph
`Wrangham is doing no small thing here; he's putting forward - in the most accessible way - his big new theory... Fascinating stuff, convincingly argued' --Sunday Telegraph
`Intriguing... You need never feel guilty about opting for pie over salad again' --Metro
`My father, whom I took with me [to a vegan raw food restaurant], was citing biological anthropologist Richard Wrangham's book Catching Fire before we had even scanned the menu' --Evening Standard
`Daringly unorthodox' --Sunday Times
`Catching Fire, with its treasure trove of great stories, makes for pleasurable consumption' --Times Literary Supplement
`His lucid theory is most persuasive' Independent --Independent
`Immensely enjoyable' -- Guardian
`This is one of the best popular science books I've ever read' -- William Leith, Evening Standard
`Fascinating and persuasive' -- House and Garden
'This is as unputdownable as a thriller!' --Nigella Lawson
`Fascinating ... If Wrangham's thesis is right, we really are what we eat' --Heston Blumenthal
`A breakthrough in evolutionary biology' --Daily Telegraph
`Wrangham is doing no small thing here; he's putting forward - in the most accessible way - his big new theory... Fascinating stuff, convincingly argued' --Sunday Telegraph
`Intriguing... You need never feel guilty about opting for pie over salad again' --Metro
`My father, whom I took with me [to a vegan raw food restaurant], was citing biological anthropologist Richard Wrangham's book Catching Fire before we had even scanned the menu' --Evening Standard
`Daringly unorthodox' --Sunday Times
`Catching Fire, with its treasure trove of great stories, makes for pleasurable consumption' --Times Literary Supplement
`His lucid theory is most persuasive' Independent --Independent
`Immensely enjoyable' -- Guardian
`This is one of the best popular science books I've ever read' -- William Leith, Evening Standard
`Fascinating and persuasive' -- House and Garden
'This is as unputdownable as a thriller!' --Nigella Lawson
`Fascinating ... If Wrangham's thesis is right, we really are what we eat' --Heston Blumenthal
Book Description
'Absolutely fascinating' Nigella Lawson
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By M. Hillmann
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
What is the originality of the ideas in this book - to what extent has Richard Wrangham taken the theory of evolution forwards with the fundamental assertion that the use of fire and development of cooking was not simply an adjunct but was the key factor in advancing the evolution of homo erectus over apes and the beginning of humanity some 2 million years ago? Richard is immensely convincing.
As he says " Fleas do not suck blood because they happen to have a proboscis well designed for piecing mammalian skins ; they have a proboscis because they are adapted to sucking blood. Similarly humans do not eat cooked food because we have the right kind of teeth and guts; rather we have small teeth and short guts as a result of a cooked diet. " And he brings this together with Aiello and Wheeler's expensive tissue hypothesis " Big brains have evolved in some animals because they have small guts and small guts are made possible by high quality diets".
All major scientific "discoveries" are the expression of accumulated knowledge of many diligent people. Richard Wrangham fully acknowledges his inspirations. But his combination and deep understanding of a range of sciences - from nutrition, digestion, neuroscience, archealogy to all types of anthropology - provides crucial evidence to support his theory. From his own original work among apes in East Africa, he can draw on first hand evidence but it is the rich variety of interesting examples, evidence and case studies quoted together with the clarity of explanation that makes this book fascinating reading.
But the book goes beyond evolution of the biological species into social evolution with Perles's assertion that "cooking ends individual self sufficiency... without a social network defining, supporting and enforcing social norms cooking would end in chaos" He ascribes human pair bonding, the division of labour between men and women and the development of sophisticated social organisation to the use of fire and the development of cooking. And he does not shrink from voicing his opinions "cooking created and perpetuated a novel system of male cultural superiority. It is not a pretty picture."
Even the epilogue with its critique of current methods of measurement of cooked food and the effects of modern day diet and cooked food on health maintains the stimulating read.
As he says " Fleas do not suck blood because they happen to have a proboscis well designed for piecing mammalian skins ; they have a proboscis because they are adapted to sucking blood. Similarly humans do not eat cooked food because we have the right kind of teeth and guts; rather we have small teeth and short guts as a result of a cooked diet. " And he brings this together with Aiello and Wheeler's expensive tissue hypothesis " Big brains have evolved in some animals because they have small guts and small guts are made possible by high quality diets".
All major scientific "discoveries" are the expression of accumulated knowledge of many diligent people. Richard Wrangham fully acknowledges his inspirations. But his combination and deep understanding of a range of sciences - from nutrition, digestion, neuroscience, archealogy to all types of anthropology - provides crucial evidence to support his theory. From his own original work among apes in East Africa, he can draw on first hand evidence but it is the rich variety of interesting examples, evidence and case studies quoted together with the clarity of explanation that makes this book fascinating reading.
But the book goes beyond evolution of the biological species into social evolution with Perles's assertion that "cooking ends individual self sufficiency... without a social network defining, supporting and enforcing social norms cooking would end in chaos" He ascribes human pair bonding, the division of labour between men and women and the development of sophisticated social organisation to the use of fire and the development of cooking. And he does not shrink from voicing his opinions "cooking created and perpetuated a novel system of male cultural superiority. It is not a pretty picture."
Even the epilogue with its critique of current methods of measurement of cooked food and the effects of modern day diet and cooked food on health maintains the stimulating read.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Copley Hill
Format:Paperback
The beauty of this book is that it takes a fresh look at so much that has long been observed but not brought together. Many great discoveries are made like this and it usually takes an outsider with fresh eyes to achieve it: Richard Wrangham is to be congratulated. Some of the themes may catch you off your guard: be prepared for a few surprises... Despite some accusations, it is not academic and I have enjoyed re-reading it several times.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Kevin Bulmer
Format:Paperback
An intreasting & original theroy presented in an readble & great way.
Cooked food as the engine of brain growth, simple but if true a solution to one of the great questions of Human evolution
Cooked food as the engine of brain growth, simple but if true a solution to one of the great questions of Human evolution
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
I expected more and better
"Catching fire" is an interesting book. It presents some ideas that are original and thought-provoking about the phenomena that made us human. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Judyta Szacillo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely interesting take on subject - very well written
I recommend this book to anyone and everyone with the faintest interest in biology, nutrition, evolution, behavioral sciences and/or cooking
Published 3 months ago by Frederik
4.0 out of 5 stars
Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human
Considering the evolution of humans in the context of food and cooking is a fascinating subject. Why do we eat the foods we do, as opposed to the food chimpanzees eat? Read more
Published 7 months ago by oxfoodblog
4.0 out of 5 stars
Homo Erectus meets Fanny Cradock
I liked this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in human evolution, food or diet, or to anyone who eats food. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mac McAleer
4.0 out of 5 stars
Convincing
The author makes an extremely convincing and logical argument for his theory that cooking food (as well as meat eating) helped make us who we are. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Jodi-Hummingbird
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Evolution of Us
According to the "standard model" of human evolution we reached our current "form" with the emergence of homo sapiens some 200 000 years ago. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mr. Michael R. Mcdowell
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating but repetitive
A fascinating and thought provoking read. Richard's theory is skilfully constructed and his arguments are well supported. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Once Upon a Cook
5.0 out of 5 stars
How women got to do the housework
This is a checklist for those who think about healthy eating (there are lots of food fads around).
It gives the latest news about the evolution of our species, and last but... Read more
It gives the latest news about the evolution of our species, and last but... Read more
Published on 6 April 2011 by Jens Guld
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting and clear
I won't review this at length because some of the other reviews are so detailed. I am interested in diet, evolution, and anthropology but am not a specialist. Read more
Published on 20 Mar 2011 by Helen
3.0 out of 5 stars
Catching Fire
Good interesting material re history of cooking and subsequent benefits to mankind.
However it is obvious that the book is written in a dry "academic" style.
However it is obvious that the book is written in a dry "academic" style.
Published on 8 Jan 2011 by tgallagher
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