Saturday, April 28, 2018

Some Problems with Human Evolution


Evolution is a marvelous process. It allowed humans to reach status of the preeminent species on earth, but it came with a cost. Evolution is driven by mutations. They create new genes that allow for additional functionality, but it’s impossible to get rid of the old patterns. This leads to problems like backwards retinas, bad knees, swallowing and breathing through the same narrow channel and more.

The book is witty and although it presents a great deal of technical information, the presentation is clear and amusing, suitable for a general audience. I enjoyed the book and learned about some problems with the human body I had never heard of before. I didn’t agree with everything he said, but that made the book more fun.

The chapters are relatively short and the illustrations make it easy to understand some of the technical discussion. The notes section is extensive and whether you agree with his ideas or not provides references for future study.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in biology or nutrition. There is a good chapter on why humans need such a varied diet based on some evolutionary problems.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

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