A coherent, comprehensive exploration of evolution, genetics, and what it means to be human.
A neuroscientist looks at evolution and the future of Homo sapiens.
Brown (Neuromuscular Function and Disease, 2002, etc.) offers a neurologist’s perspective on human physical and cultural development and offers his conceptions of a future that may result from natural processes and technological innovation. The book begins with a look at the Big Bang and current astronomical evidence of the universe’s development. It then tackles the creation of life, moving from single-celled organisms to hominids and modern humans, tracing their growth from an evolutionary perspective and exploring genetic advances. Subsequent chapters explore some of the more nebulous aspects of humanity’s journey, from art to religion to altruistic behavior. The book concludes with a look at trends and developments in genetic technology that could shape physical and mental attributes of humans and other species in years to come. Brown brings a working scientist’s perspective to his work, offering wry asides (“Like Darwin’s work, Mendel’s was tedious”) and anecdotes from his own years of practice. The book shows thorough research, citing scholarly and popular works with equal ease. At times, though, its arguments rely too heavily on a single source—in particular, speculation about the genetic and neurological roots of traits found among Ashkenazi Jews—and some of Brown’s predictions seem overly optimistic, such as, “With synthetic DNA, humans will probably be capable of creating life from scratch less than a century after Watson and Crick revealed the structure of DNA.” On the whole, though, the book provides a solid synthesis of existing research, bringing together the work of evolutionary biologists, anthropologists, and physiologists to offer a clear explanation of how we became what we are today.
A coherent, comprehensive exploration of evolution, genetics, and what it means to be human.Pub Date: March 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4602-7029-5
Page Count: 412
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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