Children of the ice : climate and human origins /

In the firm, if not always incorrect, view that scientists cannot transmit their ideas directly to the general public, there has developed a class of science writers or interpreters, such as Roger Lewin (e.g., In the Age of Mankind, CH, Mar'89) and John Gribbin. Here, the Gribbins have surveyed the whole of land vertebrate history from the viewpoint of the effect climate change has had on evolution. This is a good story, allowing an assortment of topics such as the meaning of extinction; hot-blooded dinosaurs and their demise; the rise of mammals, primates, and finally humans; techniques of reconstructing past environments; and recent climatic alterations. The authors have carefully read the semi-technical and popular writings of a variety of scientists, such as Bob Bakker, John Imbrie, Don Johanson, and Niles Eldredge, as well as those of their colleagues in the interpretation business, and the result is a chatty and easily readable volume. But it is a bit too jumpy, with each chapter divided into 1-2 page sections so that no one is forced to think too long about any one topic. Moreover, the title refers to a relatively minor aspect of the book. University libraries could do better, although for general readers, this is a useful introduction to a wide range of new views. -E. Delson, Herbert H. Lehman College, CUNY

This slim volume of popularly written prose is based on a BBC radio series produced by Gribbin in 1988. Most of the book concerns adaptations by modern humans to changes in climate, from the Ice Age to the 19th century. Coverage of this vast time period is uneven. The rise and fall of Neanderthal humans only rates three pages, whereas the North Atlantic Viking colonies rate some ten pages, though the Vikings had nothing to do with human origins. Roughly half of the book is an introduction, based on a discussion of genetics, dinosaurs, climate, and other disparate elements. The lay reader would be better served by any recent articles on the subject in Scientific American, Natural History , and National Geographic magazines.-- Richard Shotwell, Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, Mass. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.