Close Encounters with Humankind: A Paleoanthropologist Investigates Our Evolving Species

by Sang-Hee Lee, Shin-Young Yoon (With)

Overview

One of Smithsonian's Ten Best Science Books of 2018


In this captivating bestseller, Korea’s first paleoanthropologist offers fresh insights into humanity’s dawn and evolution.

What can fossilized teeth tell us about the life expectancy of our ancient ancestors? How did farming play a problematic role in the history of human evolution? How can simple geometric comparisons of skull and pelvic fossils suggest a possible origin to our social nature? And what do we truly have in common with the Neanderthals? In this captivating international bestseller, Close Encounters with Humankind, Korea’s first paleoanthropologist, Sang-Hee Lee, explores some of our greatest evolutionary questions from new and unexpected angles.

Through a series of entertaining, bite-sized chapters, we gain fresh perspectives into our first hominin ancestors and ways to challenge perceptions about the traditional progression of evolution. By combining anthropological insight with exciting, cutting-edge research, Lee’s surprising conclusions shed new light on our beginnings and connect us to a faraway past. For example, our big brains may have served to set our species apart and spur our societal development, but perhaps not in the ways we have often assumed. And it’s possible that the Neanderthals, our infamous ancestors, were not the primitive beings portrayed by twentieth-century science. With Lee as our guide, we discover that from our first steps on two feet to our first forays into toolmaking and early formations of community, we have always been a species of continuous change.

Close Encounters with Humankind is the perfect read for anyone curious about where we came from and what it took to get us here. As we mine the evolutionary path to the present, Lee helps us to determine where we are heading and tackles one of our most pressing scientific questions—does humanity continue to evolve?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393634822
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	02/20/2018
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	637,790
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Sang-Hee Lee is a professor of anthropology and associate dean of the college of humanities, arts, and social sciences at UC Riverside, and lives in Riverside, California. She earned her MA and PhD in anthropology from the University of Michigan.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Let's Take a Journey Together 9

1 Are We Cannibals? 19

2 The Birth of Fatherhood 33

3 Who Were the First Hominin Ancestors? 47

4 Big-Brained Babies Give Moms Big Grief 59

5 Meat Lovers R Us 67

6 Got Milk? 77

7 A Gene for Snow White 85

8 Granny Is an Artist 93

9 Did Farming Bring Prosperity? 105

10 Peking Man and the Yakuza 113

11 Asia Challenges Africa's Stronghold on the Birthplace of Humanity 121

12 Cooperation Connects You and Me 131

13 King Kong 141

14 Breaking Back 151

15 In Search of the Most Humanlike Face 161

16 Our Changing Brains 169

17 You Are a Neanderthal! 179

18 The Molecular Clock Does Not Keep Time 189

19 Denisovans: The Asian Neanderthals? 199

20 Hobbits 207

21 Seven Billion Humans, One Single Race? 217

22 Are Humans Still Evolving? 227

Epilogue 1 Precious Humanity 235

Epilogue 2 An Invitation to an Unfamiliar World of Paleoanthropology 241

Appendix 1 Common Questions and Answers about Evolution 247

Appendix 2 Overview of Hominin Evolution 255

Further Reading 265

Index 287

Editorial Reviews

11/20/2017
Lee, professor of anthropology at the University of California, Riverside, approaches an array of topics in the field of human evolution with candor, clarity, and brevity. Among her subjects are the role “social childbirth” plays in “the true beginnings of humanity,” whether early humans came out of Africa or Asia, and the factors that “led to the unique human model of family.” The ways that the science of human evolution is evolving alongside technological innovations and new fossil finds thematically links the book’s discrete topics. Lee’s research offers insights into current debates and also reveals new findings; for example, data regarding burial practices shows that humans began to live long enough to witness the births of their grandchildren only 30,000 years ago, in the European Upper Paleolithic—not some two million years ago as previously thought. Lee does not go in-depth on any particular topic, though she provides some interesting narrative details, particularly her hair-raising near encounter with the yakuza while trying to authenticate the missing remains of the “Peking Man.” Though specialists might grimace at Lee’s lack of nuance, lay readers will be grateful for her straightforward work. Illus. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"Humans walk upright, possess giant brains, have nearly hairless skin, and live exceptionally long lives. How did we come to be such peculiar primates? Sang-Hee Lee tackles this question with aplomb. Deftly weaving together science and personal observation, Lee proves an engaging, authoritative guide on this nickel tour of the human condition."

Kate Wong - Scientific American

"Lee, a paleoanthropologist, tells us much about our evolutionary origins by sorting through our ancestors’ mortal remains."

New York Times

"Close Encounters with Humankind is a delightful book full of memorable stories that reveal deep truths and penetrating mysteries about our past. What a fun way to explore the origins of our strange human ways."

Nathan H. Lents

"A breath of fresh air for palaeoanthropology. Lee navigates difficult topics expertly, weaving complex ideas like fore and couvade into her light narrative style. From cannibals to art to 'hobbits', Close Encounters covers an impressive array of topics that will interest anyone fascinated by how we became human."

Kristina Killgrove

"In this insightful collection, Sang-Hee Lee shows herself to be a gifted storyteller, breathing new life into the old bones, with both the intimate knowledge of a practitioner and a dose of cross-cultural scientific sensitivity. A pleasure to read!"

Jonathan Marks

"Close Encounters with Humankind is a terrific introduction to the story of human evolution for someone who is just beginning to explore the field, but even those familiar with the material will find a lot of new information here. I congratulate Sang-Hee Lee for writing an appealing, factual, and entertaining book on the ever-fascinating topic of human evolutionary history."

Wenda Trevathan

"Succinctly and engagingly, Lee revisits key questions about the story of our evolving species—and gives some unconventional answers."

Nature

★ 2017-11-20
An exceptionally reader-friendly introduction to human evolution.Lee (Anthropology/Univ. of California, Riverside) bases her book largely on a series of essays published simultaneously in a Korean newspaper and science magazine for the general public. To engage the widest general audience, the author writes in a refreshingly conversational style, eschewing the jargon of paleoanthropology so that the topics are "understandable to someone without a background in" the discipline. Because of their origin as separate essays, there is some repetition in chapters, but this is minimal and often adds to the clarity of the subject being discussed. Chapter titles reflect the tone of the essays—e.g., "Big-Brained Babies Give Moms Big Grief," "Granny Is an Artist," "Got Milk?" and "A Gene for Snow White." The approach is not chronological, so chapters can be read in any order, and they often begin with a question or an anecdote. Many chapters conclude with a brief section labeled "Extra," which brings a fresh perspective such as an update or a personal note. The author introduces readers to both the knowns and the unknowns, controversial issues that plague scientists trying to untangle these roots. How do the Neanderthals and the Denisovans fit in, and what about the tiny Hobbit-like hominins who lived in Indonesia thousands of years ago? There is some humor here but no flippancy. Lee demonstrates clearly how research continues to add to our understanding of the complex roots of human origins, roots that "are becoming more complicated and tangled than we ever thought before." As the author notes, "humanity did not agonize over the best long-term course development. We proceeded by making the best decision possible at that moment, within our specific environment." Full-page black-and-white illustrations of tools, fossils, and locations add to the book's appeal.Highly accessible, consistently interesting popular science writing.

Kirkus Reviews

"Lee, a paleoanthropologist, tells us much about our evolutionary origins by sorting through our ancestors’ mortal remains."

New York Times Book Review

"I have struggled for years to find reading materials that cover the basics of human evolution without overwhelming students with dry, technical minutiae. At last, a book that does this! This book will appeal not only to students, but to anyone who is curious about the world."

Dean Falk

"Sang-Hee Lee has posed some of the big questions in human evolution and has written brief, clear, and jargon-free essays about them. Her informal, clear style and commonsense explanations are delightful and engaging. Brava!"

Pat Shipman

12/01/2017
Paleoanthropologist Lee (anthropology, Univ. of Calif. Riverside) presents a collection of essays (originally written for a Korean popular science magazine) on a wide range of topics in human evolution. These brief yet concise essays explore such provocative subjects as the mystery of human longevity, whether Asia or Africa was the birthplace of humanity, and the evolution of meat-eating in humans. It's fascinating to learn that long before our early ancestors became skilled hunters, they were carcass scavengers forced to dine on the leftovers of vultures and hyenas—i.e., bare bones. Lee also examines some of the most contentious debates in the field of biological anthropology: whether humans evolved big brains before walking upright and the role of Neanderthals in human evolution. These essays reveal paleoanthropology as an exciting discipline in constant flux, as existing theories about human evolution are discarded and new ones proposed to accommodate new fossil finds and DNA analyses. VERDICT Written in an easygoing, conversational style, this collection offers an intriguing glimpse into the study of human evolution. Recommended for general readers curious about paleoanthropology or those looking for an introduction to the subject.—Cynthia Lee Knight, Hunterdon Cty. Historical Soc., Flemington, NJ

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