It begins with an engaging summary of human evolution from the perspectives of the fossil record, genetics and culture. The text does tend to wander, but ultimately touches all bases in a way that is as accurate as possible for such a complex science. The occasional use of unexplained technical or anatomical terms may slow down the uninitiated, but the glossary helps out. The section ends with a thoughtful and thought-provoking discussion of the human place in nature.

Johanson and Edgar give a reasonably fair airing of the controversies surrounding interpretations of our evolutionary past. This fairness is particularly remarkable given the authorsā€™ many references to ā€œdiscoverersā€™ egosā€, a problem which has hampered progress in palaeoanthropology from the beginning. But Johanson, who has been far from free of accusations of flaunting his own ego, cultivates and polishes a humbler and more objective image in this work.

Not that the book is totally objectiveā€”Johansonā€™s point of view is argued most forcefully. This is, of course, his prerogative: after all he wrote the book. The only serious complaint that you could make is that the citations of othersā€™ work are a bit erratic and selective. For example, given the title of the book, I would expect the authors to dwell on the evolution of language. But they gloss over the theory that Homo habilis may have had the neural capacity for speech without even mentioning Phillip Tobias, the South African palaeoanthropologist who is the main proponent of the notion. This makes the book less valuable for the serious student, but fortunately there are lists of recommended reading to help those seeking greater depth.

The true value of the book lies in its second part, which contains an unparalleled compilation of pictures, mostly taken by photographer David Brill. The exceptional value and quality of these makes the book well worth the price. There is perhaps a slight overemphasis on East African fossils, at the expense of key finds in southern Africa and Asiaā€”again, part of the Johanson slant. But the authors take on the notoriously difficult task of describing the fossils with maturity and enthusiasm. Each photograph is accompanied by unobtrusive data on the discovery of the fossil and its age along with anecdotal and historical insights. The authors supplant normally dry descriptions of bones and teeth with narratives that successfully conjure up mental images of life in our distant past.

To round off the book, the reader (or tourist, it almost seems) is given a brief look at technological advances in the manufacture of stone and bone tools. I am in two minds about the value of such a short glimpse at archaeology. The development of culture is an important part of human evolution that is in line with the title and introduction of the book, so the artefacts lend a nice touch. But the section is too short to be worth much to the curious reader.

From Lucy to Language has jumped to the top of the recommended books list I give my anthropology students, even if it is aimed at a wider, nonspecialist audience. In one slick package filled with the best of evidence for human evolution, Johanson and Edgar reveal why palaeoanthropology is one of the most exciting yet challenging of all scientific endeavours.

The Ape-Man Within begins with a very basic review of Darwinian history and an overview of the fossil record. The treatment could hardly be authoritative: his field experience goes little beyond observations at New Yorkā€™s Central Park Zoo. Much of what he writes is reasonably accurate, but with a touch more research he could have got all the facts right.

I am more concerned with scientific than political correctness, but this book achieves neither. Following a chapter with a very gentle discussion of the ā€œraceā€ concept, De Camp proceeds to subtly reinforce stereotypes of gender, race and ethnic groups. A Jewish friend of mind was appalled at the pernicious portrayal of his ethnic origins. To be fair, De Camp offends the sensibilities of most other groups, including a fascinating attack on some basic tenets of Christian belief.

It then becomes clear, at long last, that the bookā€™s main thesis is simply that human conflict and racial tension can be attributed to our evolutionary origins. The idea is not new. Human aggression is blamed on high testosterone levels among alpha males, whereas our precivilisation lifestyles made womenā€™s speech ā€œgarrulous, diffuse and impreciseā€. Is this science?

The author makes some fairly good points about the problems of population growth, but the message would have been more clear without his simplistic views on the relative value of American foreign aid. It is a pity that what could have been an erudite attempt to postulate theories about the origins of human behaviour became a platform for rejuvenating antiquated stereotypes and pushing a dubious political agenda.

At some point in the distant past, the early ancestors of humans learnt
how to make tools, capture the power of fire, and control their environment
as well as their destiny. Some of the key moments in this transition from
animality to humanity are preserved in the fossil deposits of a cave known
as Swartkrans, located in what is now the Transvaal Province of South Africa.
For 21 years, these clues have been patiently excavated, meticulously sorted
and thoughtfully analysed under the direction of C. K. Brain.

Brain, better known as ā€˜Bobā€™ to his colleagues and friends, has produced
an academic monument to our past with the publication of Swartkrans. Fourteen
internationally respected scholars have contributed to elucidating the caveā€™s
chronicle. For the serious scientist, the book is a technical source for
primary descriptions of fossil data, produced with exquisitely fine attention
to detail. For the imaginative scientist, each chapter is a cauldron of
ideas.

Swartkrans is unique among the South African cave sites in having two
early human forms among the fossil bones: one a small-brained but upright
australopithecine with a robust face, the other an early representative
of our own genus Homo. The site documents the environmental changes endured
by these two hominids in three deposits spanning the period from about 1.8
to 1 million years ago.

In the earliest deposit of Swartkrans, we see the last appearance of
a number of extinct mammals, including some large carnivores that probably
dragged our ancestorsā€™ flesh and bones into the cave. Alongside is a scattering
of primitive tools of bone and stone. Most would assume that these artefacts
had been fashioned by the larger-brained Homo, but the Swartkrans remains
challenge that notion: the hand bones of the australopithecine reveal the
morphological capability for a precision grip, a prerequisite for making
stone tools.

A number of mammals, including some of those still living today, appear
for the first time in the second deposit, indicating a significant lapse
of time. Again we see evidence of carnivores, probably leopards and hyenas,
having consumed their prey near the entrance to the cave; our two early
hominid species were still on the menu. Curiously, two pieces of bone show
signs of having been burnt by fire. Perhaps lightning struck a nearby tree,
and the burning embers fell into the cave.

After a short lapse of geological time, the third deposit filled up
with bones and artefacts, not dissimilar to the underlying material but
for two important features: the artefacts appear to have been carried in,
perhaps even made inside the cave, and many more bones appear to have been
burnt. Not a single fossil of Homo appears, but the robust australopithecines
left their last known fossil remains before extinction . . . including one
burnt finger bone.

Brain and his colleagues have gone to great lengths to test the idea
that the burnt bones in the third deposit represent, perhaps for the first
time anywhere, the controlled use of fire. This research included numerous
experiments ranging from building fires out of local timber to determine
fire temperatures (conducted on a ā€˜clear and moonlit eveningā€™) to chemical
tests of the fossil bones themselves.

The unavoidable conclusion is that there were frequently recurring,
controlled fires within the cave. The reader must decide who was responsible
for the cave occupation, but the subsequent extinction of the australopithecine
leaves an interesting clue.

There is much more to be learned from Swartkrans and other caves. Brain
sets a high standard for those of us who excavate and interpret these. The
care with which he has gone about his work is not only a model of excellence,
but also a gift to all those who are interested in early humans.

* Paul Kruger Street, POB 413, Pretoria 0001, South Africa, Fax 012
322 7939