Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"The Journey of Man is a book that should be read, for undeniably the story Wells reveals will transform our understanding of ourselves."--Tim Flannery, New York Review of Books "Spencer Wells chronicles the history of genetic population studies, starting with Darwin's puzzlement over the diversity of humanity he saw first-hand from the deck of the Beagle, and ending with the various attempts to classify human variation on the basis of different political and social agendas."--Rebecca Cann, Nature "The Journey of Man is fascinating and oozes charm... [It] is packed with important insights into our history and our relationships with each other... Who needs literature when science is this much fun?"--Chris Lavers, Guardian "The Journey of Man is the best account available of the story of human origins and dispersals."--Colin Renfrew, Times Higher Education Supplement "Fortunately for the lay reader, Wells has a knack for clear descriptions and clever analogies to help explain the intricacies of the science involved. Both entertaining and enlightening."--Library Journal "Wells does an excellent job of making complex scientific data accessible and weaves a tapestry of physical anthropology and archaeology as well as linguistics and, of course, genetics to piece together the rise of the agricultural society, the interrelations between far-flung languages, and the eventual settlement of humans into virtually every corner of the globe."--Elise Proulx, East Bay Express
Table of ContentsList of Maps xi List of Figures xii 1 The Diverse Ape 1 2 E pluribus unum 14 3 Eve's Mate 41 4 Coasting Away 61 5 Leaps and Bounds 81 6 The Main Line 100 7 Blood from a Stone 122 8 The Importance of Culture 146 9 The Final Big Bang 184 Acknowledgements 197 Further Reading 199 Index 208
