In search of human origins
"The Wisdom of Bones provides a vivid insider's perspective on the global efforts to document our own ancestry' RICHARD LEAKEY
From the opening sentence to the last, The Wisdom of Bones is a thrilling story about the day-to-day realities and higher goals of searching for our origins. The combination of a fossil-finder's personal experience and the lucid description of the larger issues makes for an engaging and extremely informative read. The search for our origins isn't over yet, but this book shows the way to get there, in the highest traditions of good science and fine writing. ROGER LEWIN
This book provides an unparalleled firsthand account of the utterly fascinating quest to understand human origins. It encompasses the joy of fieldwork, the thrill of discovery, the sweat of excavation, the challenge of laboratory research, and the reward of unravelling the multitude of messages fossilized in the bones of our ancient ancestors."
DONALD C. JOHNSON, co-author, Ancestors: In Search of Human Origins
This is the story of the excavation of the 'Nariokotome Boy', found in Kenya in 1984 by Alan Walker and Richard Leakey, 1.5 million years old and the most complete skeleton of Homo erectus ever found. Combining science and personal insight, romance and adventure, The Wisdom of Bones tells of the years of detective work using every imaginable scientific aid, and presents extraordinary insights into our species.
Alan Walker is a leading paleoanthropologist and long-time collaborator of Richard Leakey. He is known for his fossil discoveries as well as for his pioneering techniques for analysing fossils. He is Professor of Biology and Anthropology at Pennsylvania State University in America. Pat Shipman is Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Pennsylvania State University. She is the author of Life History of a Fossil, The Human Skeleton and co-author (with Erik Trinkaus) of The Neanderthals: Mirror of Mankind.
Soft cover

Condition: Like New