Akron Public Library

An enlightening investigation of the Pleistocene's dual character as a geologic time-and as a cultural idea The Pleistocene is the epoch of geologic time closest to our own. It's a time of ice ages, global migrations, and mass extinctions-of woolly rhinos, mammoths, giant ground sloths, and not least early species of Homo. It's the world that created ours. But outside that environmental story there exists a parallel narrative that describes how our...

Traces the evolution of human beings from the creation of the universe to the advent of the Neanderthals. Also discusses how archaeologists use available evidence to reconstruct the past.

"Where did we come from? What makes us human? NOVA's...investigation explores how new discoveries are transforming views of our earliest ancestors. Featuring interviews with world-renowned scientists, footage shot "in the trenches" as fossils were unearthed, and...computer-generated animation, [these programs] bring early hominids to life, examining how we became the creative and adaptable modern humans of today...In the first episode...encounter..."Selam,"...

For too long the Neanderthals have been seen as dim-witted evolutionary dead-enders who looked and behaved completely differently from us, but in recent years their story has been transformed thanks to new discoveries and advances in scientific techniques. In a compelling narrative one that has not previously been told in a way that encompasses the entire dramatic arc from evolution to expansion to extinction this book takes a fresh and engaging look...

A Harvard evolutionary biologist presents an engaging discussion of how the human body has evolved over millions of years, examining how an increasing disparity between the needs of Stone Age bodies and the realities of the modern world are fueling a paradox of greater longevity and chronic disease.

Geneticist Spencer Wells and a team from National Geographic's Genographic Project trace the human journey from its origins in the heart of Africa to the ends of the world. Features a cast of New Yorkers, each with their own genetic identity.

"Cell phones, computers and other devices, are now completely embedded in global culture. Engaging and entertaining yet scientifically rigorous, i-Minds demonstrates how our constant connectivity is rapidly changing our brains, what the dangers are, and what positive steps we can all take to embrace new technology while protecting our well-being and steering our future in a much more human direction."--

"The quest to find where and when the earliest human ancestors first appeared is one of the most exciting and challenging of all scientific pursuits. The First Human is the story of four international teams obsessed with solving the mystery of human evolution and of the intense rivalries that propel them."--Cover.

Harvard psychologist Barrett tackles the obesity and fitness crisis from an evolutionary standpoint. In the modern jungle of burgers, couches, and remote controls, obesity is an enormous and growing epidemic. Weight-loss books and diet gurus urge us to "listen to our bodies," but our instincts are designed for the African savannah, not food courts. The sugary and fatty foods that we, as hunter-gatherers, are programmed to forage used to be hard to...