You might not suspect it, but we are currently living through a revolution in scientific knowledge. What we know about the human brain's workings and about the earliest history of our distant humanoid ancestors changes almost weekly. A new view of humanity is being forged - new theories appear all the time, splinter, are revised and adandoned. Scientists from different fields of research are finally co-operating and sharing their insights in order to map out a new view of the human brain. Paleaoanthropologists digging in Kenya, neuropyschologists building organic robots in their labs and geneticists unearthing the secret in all our genes have all thrown their ideas into the melting pot...where they combust. The way we view who we are, where we came from and how we came to think at all is being altered irrevocably. And this is the subject-matter of this book.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Wills begins this superb, detailed, lucid survey of current controversies over human origins by debunking the popular theory that all human beings share a common ancestry rooted in a particular kind of DNA from a "mitochondrial Eve" who lived in Africa some 200,000 years ago. Next, he applies new findings from molecular genetics and fossil digs to clarify the two competing models of human evolution: the "politically correct" Noah's Ark model, which holds that modern humans arose relatively recently in Africa and fanned out through the Old World, replacing less advanced hominids; and the multiple-origins model, according to which our ancestors made the transition to full humanity more than once, in different parts of the planet. A biologist at UC San Diego, Wills suggests that Homo sapiens is caught up in a process of "runaway brain evolution," the result of a feedback loop between genes and the environment, which has transformed our brains into "sponges for knowledge," giving human evolution the appearance of progress and directionality. Illustrated. First serial to Discover; Library of Science main selection.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
Remember the ``mitochondrial Eve'' (popularly interpreted to mean that we're all descended from an African mom upward of 200,000 years ago)? Remember Carleton Coon and the independent origin of the races of mankind? These are among the new and older ideas revisited in this wide-ranging review by Wills (Biology/UC San Diego; Exons, Introns, and Talking Genes, 1991). Essentially, Wills agrees with Stephen Jay Gould and others that evolution doesn't mean progress and hasn't stopped with Homo sapiens. What appears to be progress in our case, he says, is not a case of the uniqueness of human evolution, but of the evolution of human uniqueness. This has come about by interactions between the genome and the cultural milieu that have led to the feedback phenomenon of the ``runaway brain.'' Contributing factors include the narrowness of the birth canal, which ushers babies into the world at an immature stage, and personal interactions that facilitate the rapid growth and expansion of the brain, with its diverse systems and capabilities. To arrive at these conclusions, Wills summarizes the paleontological evidence, including the personae and controversies: He offers the corrective that the mitochondrial Eve might be much older and have had numerous companions who passed on their nuclear (as opposed to mitochondrial genes); he speculates that Homo erectus might have spread across the continents with all its apparatus in place to evolve to sapiens. Wills undergirds this argument with the latest findings from molecular genetics about the roles of duplicate genes and mutations with ``potential.'' Along the way, he finds time to discuss the origin of language, the brains of idiot savants (now called ``individuals with savant syndrome''), and the potential for human self- and planetary destruction. An impressive compendium of data and theories of human evolution, along with the author's own speculations--sure to trigger controversy in a field known for contention. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hard Science for the Rest Of Us,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Runaway Brain: The Evolution of Human Uniqueness (Paperback)
Okay, this is not my typical light-reading fare. I was browsing the Harvard book store in Cambridge, MA and saw it in the bargain bin and grabbed it. It may be the best buy I ever made.Wills walks us down the evolutionary path of mankind explaining the paleontology and genetics involved in tracing man's lineage through the years. He has a knack for writing in an entertaining style and explaining the hard science in a way that us lay-people can understand without insulting our intelligence. Though the book is several years old now, it is possibly more timely than ever as the popular press pushes the pop-science of genetics down our throats with little regard for the accuracy of the science involved. The press would have us believe that there is a "happy gene" and a "sad gene" and even a "good Mom" gene. Pure bunk as Wills makes clear. He also lays to rest the myth that we are all descended from a single "Eve" as was reported in the late 1980's. Instead, he explains what the real science was. He explores the mitochrondial genetic materials that is passed down through the female lineage of our species and how we attempt to trace our species back to "Eve". She was most likely more than one person though possibly a small number. "Eve" most likely lived in the Rift Valley of Africa though it is possible that she may have lived in Asia. We explore the fossil evidence and told some unforutately sordid tales of racism by scientists through the years that has clouded our thinking of evolution. Wills walks us through two plausible genetic scenarios of how we are evolved from "Eve" without delving himself into racist science. He also walks us through the myths and realities of genetic mutations, fossil evidence of human ancestors, and even unravels the DNA strands of genetic material making it clear what the Human Genome project is really all about. I found it especially revealing when I attempted to locate Wills' title. Eventually, I did find that he is, indeed, a Ph.D. in his field. Not that it was easy. Wills is not on an ego-trip; he is not overly impressed with his intellectual prowess. I am convinced that this is from whence his down-to-earth writing style emanates. It is always nice to put down a book knowing that not only were you entertained, but also walked away a little better informed than when you opened up the book. Thank you Chrisopher Wills.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I can't believe only one person wrote a review on this book!,
By
This review is from: The Runaway Brain: The Evolution of Human Uniqueness (Paperback)
Quite simply, this is one of the best books on not just evolution, but the brain and many other areas of science which are deeply involved with one another. I cannot praise Christopher Wills' writing and his knowledge and ability to tie all this information together. If I were not living in PIttsburgh finishing my PhD on science education, I'd probably go out to San Diego and beg for a job from this guy.
I picked up the book years ago while getting my BS and MS in neuroscience. I put it aside for whatever reading, then this winter got sick and started in on the book. It took me a long time to read which is very unusual for me as a speed reader, but it was more than worth the time. The thing is so much of what he wrote and taught, the reader has to back away from the book and assimilate it, so that it can make sense, especially the parts of science such as archaeology and anthropology that I did not have classes in, or much exposure to. Wills has whetted my appetite in many of these areas, and unlike many of my other books, this one will not be resold. In fact, I intend to reread it again, so I can understand more of what he teaches. So much of the science makes sense where many of my professors were totally incapable of rational explanations for certain things concerning the brain and why it developed the way it did. Wills answered many of my questions that I had. The book is not as easy to read as say something from Oliver Sacks, not because of the writing but due to the sheer amount of information Wills managed to fit into the book. This book should be a definite required reading in neuroscience as well as anthropology. As a deaf person I especially enjoyed the fact that he included information and research on deaf done by Bellugi and Neville, that shows that we are not as stupid as the world has previously assumed us to be. It also demonstrates that research into people with differences help us to understand how the brain works and rewires itself. This book is not the typical book on the brain, but rather one that explains the evolution of the brain from microorganisms from millions of years ago, to the current status of our brains. I am sure that if we are not stupid enough to ruin our planet within the next few years, our brains will continue to evolve, and things which we would considered either odd or miraculous now, will become things that we take for granted in the future... Now I have to go find his other books to read, and he better well not quit writing! Karen L. Sadler
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
In Consensus with Other Reviewers (see above or below),
This review is from: The Runaway Brain: The Evolution of Human Uniqueness (Paperback)
I much enjoyed the Runaway Brain - for reasons of breadth and humility. The book is full of non-cliche evidence and research trivia that doesn't feel like trivia. For example, the author - on a couple of occasions - references a curious fact that neurons are - evolutionarily speaking - descendents of skin cells. Now that really got me thinking about the phenomenology of our neural networks. Similarly, the book is rich with what struck me as unorthodox but quite reasonable intepretations and conclusions. For example, the author posits that proportionately speaking the brains of all and any living species are similarly complex and evolved in comparison with these species-specific brains at their respective evolutionary starting points. Modern humans are more neurally capable than the first ones, and the same goes for modern day dogs and ants and you name it. This sobering - for this non-biologist - reminder of the parallel evolution across the entire gamut of species is the kind of side-bar observation that is characteristic of the humble tone of the book.
Pavel Somov, Ph.D., Author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, 2008)
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