Almost Adam [Abridged] [Audio Cassette]

Petru Popescu (Author), Joseph Campanella (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1996

Imagine a place so remote it has escaped evolution. Imagine prehistoric footprints leading back in time--imagine they were made yesterday. Stranded in the African savanna, paleoanthropologist Ken Lauder encounters the inconceivable--a protohuman boy from a breed thought to have been extinct for two million years. From this irresistible "what if" premise, Popescu blends fascinating scientific speculation with scientific fact to explore the mysteries of how we become "human." 4 cassettes.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A cross between the novel Jurassic Park and the movie Quest for Fire, Almost Adam is a speculative tale about the survival of the Australopithecus (an early human ancestor living two million years ago) in a remote part of Kenya. The book is often compared to John Darnton's Neanderthal, but it's actually much better. The American Anthropological Association recently gave Almost Adam a surprisingly positive review on the pages of its newsletter--a good endorsement coming from a crowd that might be tough to please. The science is solid and the story is good, if a bit long. With this novel, Petru Popescu offers a pleasant way to learn about the past. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Popescu's predictable but fascinating first novel tells of a paleoanthropologist's discovery of a tribe of protohumans living in the Kenyan wilderness. Ken Lauder may have stumbled onto the most important anthropological find of the century, but can he dodge a vicious fossil curator and a murderous group of mercenaries long enough to report it? Veteran reader Joseph Campanella adds just the right amount of tension to this imaginative tale, with a dramatic reading par excellence. Most popular collections will want this. Librarians should look out for John Darnton's novel Neanderthal (Random Audio, 1996), also about modern primitives.?Mark Annichiarico, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: St Martins Pr (a); Abridged edition (April 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559273984
• ISBN-13: 978-1559273985
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,853,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good start, March 13, 2000

By 

"alexsavulescu" (Ottawa, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Almost Adam: A Novel (Hardcover)

This is a promising work from someone new to the Anglo-Saxon literature. Petru Popescu is Romanian, and therefore his style and language are not as polished as expected from your average American author. His Latin lyricism translates oddly at times, and his descriptions are long and detailed. Character developing is uneven, but this is a minor sin compared to other aspects you will find worthwile.

Overall, it's a good book, and shows an great interest in social studies. This twist brings new life to an idea as old as Arthur Conan Doyle's "Lost World". Give it a chance - if you want more than other (similarly-priced) brainless slam-bang, you might like it.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding novel,kept me on edge throughout!, October 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Almost Adam: A Novel (Hardcover)

I found this book on a clearance rack $3!I was on vacation and wanted a distraction,so I thought it was a good deal.Little did I know what Mr.Popescu had in store for me.This book is captivating for anyone with a love of mans early history.The sheer amount of research that he put into this novel must be applauded.I look forward to wraping myself up in his next novel.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Unexpected Find, June 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Almost Adam: A Novel (Hardcover)

I bought this book two years ago at a "dollar store" during an ice storm which left us without electricity for two weeks. There wasn't much to do so I bought this book thinking it probably wouldn't be too great; I mean I spent three bucks on it at the dollar store. But, I hoped it would ward off the boredom. I didn't get to start reading it until a month ago and was I ever surprised. This is a great book! As the last reviewer stated, it's a great way to teach science through fiction. I had never put too much thought into how humans evolved. I have even found myself watching The Discovery Channel to find out more about the protohumans.