or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
46 used & new from £0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Origins Reconsidered: In Search of What Makes Us Human
 
 

Origins Reconsidered: In Search of What Makes Us Human (Paperback)

by Richard E. Leakey (Author), Roger Lewin (Author) "They had set out early, this band of six purposeful individuals, striding across rolling, grassy terrain punctuated here and there by flat-topped acacia trees ..." (more)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
RRP: £14.99
Price: £9.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £5.00 (33%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by Wednesday, November 25? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
15 new from £0.83 30 used from £0.01 1 collectible from £1.00
12 Days of Christmas Sale in Books
Get up to 65% off some of our top titles. Shop now

Special Offers and Product Promotions


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Homo Britannicus: The Incredible Story of Human Life in Britain

Homo Britannicus: The Incredible Story of Human Life in Britain

by Chris Stringer
4.0 out of 5 stars (20)  £5.73
Lucy, the Beginnings of Humankind

Lucy, the Beginnings of Humankind

by Donald C. Johanson
4.8 out of 5 stars (6)  £8.76
The Origin of Humankind (Science Masters)

The Origin of Humankind (Science Masters)

by Richard E. Leakey
Environmental Archaeology: Principles and Methods

Environmental Archaeology: Principles and Methods

by Terry O'Connor
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £8.99
The Oxford Illustrated History of Prehistoric Europe

The Oxford Illustrated History of Prehistoric Europe

by Barry Cunliffe
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £12.22
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 464 pages
  • Publisher: Abacus; New edition edition (14 Oct 1993)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0349103453
  • ISBN-13: 978-0349103457
  • Product Dimensions: 19 x 12.6 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 236,932 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Review

'An epic tale' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'Fascinating' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Anyone with curiosity will find a reason to read Origins Reconsidered: it is a superb account of the state of knowledge concerning the evolution of our species ...Richard Leakey sees the wood and not just the trees' NEW SCIENTIST


Product Description

Richard Leakey questions the widely accepted idea of a 2 million-year-old ancestry of hunters and gatherers - the men hunting, the women raising children - that is the basis of modern man's nuclear family, and asks why the first signs of humanity occurred a mere 15,000 years ago in the cave paintings of Lascaux. What was going on in the minds of men before that first recorded expression of art and humanity occurred? Richard Leakey also wrote "People of the Lake" and "The Making of Mankind". Roger Lewin is also the author of the prize-winning "Bones of Contention".

Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
They had set out early, this band of six purposeful individuals, striding across rolling, grassy terrain punctuated here and there by flat-topped acacia trees. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Origins Reconsidered: In Search of What Makes Us Human
87% buy the item featured on this page:
Origins Reconsidered: In Search of What Makes Us Human 4.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£9.99
The Origin of Humankind (Science Masters)
13% buy
The Origin of Humankind (Science Masters) 4.5 out of 5 stars (2)

 

Customer Reviews

1 Review
5 star:    (0)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Insight into our heritage, 14 Aug 2000
By Stephen A. Haines (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Richard Leakey's role in bringing to light human origins needs no explanation here. His family history, from Louis through Mary to Richard's strong role in controlling poaching has received extensive media attention. Stll, his long history of work in paleoanthropology remains the most noteworthy aspect of his life. This book, which presents a strong sense of his humanity, hasn't garnered the attention it deserves.

Leakey's humanist view ranges from flying an aircraft to his reflections on the art of our ancestors while touring the Lascaux caves. One can only envy his breadth of opportunity and open conveying of his feelings. He's been challenged for his 'lack of credentials', but you'll look long and hard to find an 'academician' who can duplicate his feats or writing skills. Without excuses, he provides plausible scenarios of how our distant ancestors lived, a risky approach in a science ready to challenge such presumption. We might also credit his flexibility and candid approach to his generalist background. Few 'guild' members would present such a sincere relation of the impact of molecular research on a 'bone hunter'. We would all do well to follow his example of a willingness to revise an attitude in confronting newly revealed evidence.

Leakey uses strongly the role of language in our development. Since Raymond Dart's find of the Taung Child three generations ago, the question of brain development and bipedalism has dominated much of anthropology's literature. Brain growth and cultural factors have a firm tie, and Leakey examines the issue critically. Relying heavily on Harry Jerison's work, Leakey sees brain/language [read 'culture'] to result of a strong feedback loop.

A whiff of the longstanding Leakey/Johanson dispute drifts through this book, but it's merely a passing trail [those unfamiliar with the issues must read Don Johanson's LUCY and Lewin's own BONES OF CONTENTION - both should reside in your library]. Leakey chooses rather to address Johanson's colleagues Owen Lovejoy and Tim White. Having championed Lovejoy's superb synopsis of human evolution in LUCY, it's a bit disturbing to see Leakey attempt to trash his scenario here. Out-of-context quotes can be devastating to readers unfamiliar with the human evolutionary picture.

If this book has a flaw, it's the lack of a bibliography. Although this may seem contradictory after praising his independence from academia, the people cited are too significant to warrant omission of their work.

That noted, this account remains a superb item to add to any library. Leakey and Lewin's combined writing skills, illustrations keyed to the important issues, and willingness to speculate keep the reader enthralled throughout. Don't let the publication date of this book discourage you. New fossil evidence has added to the information here, but not outdated it. Read this book and judge for yourself.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject







i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.