13th out of 37 books
—
11 voters
The Evolution of Human Intellect: Discover the Information that Schools and Religions Aren't Yet Teaching
by
L.N. Smith (Goodreads Author)
Why did women lose their facial hair during evolution? Where did the notion of god(s) come from? Why did self-awareness arise in the torso before migrating behind the eyes? What transition sparked the feud between science and religion? All of these questions have simple and logical answers, which are entertainingly revealed in the form of two amusement park attractions.
ebook, 74 pages
Published
February 2nd 2012
by L.N. Smith Publishing
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,514)
First: I received a free copy of this from the author.
Now that required disclaimers are out of the way ... I really enjoyed this, but I'm going to start with the things I didn't like.
There were some aspects that really annoyed me. What on earth does Disney have to do with anything? Also, the excessively United-States-centric viewpoint, but that's something that usually annoys me. The scientist in me wanted references constantly. I was hoping for a list of further reading at the end, but there wa...more
Now that required disclaimers are out of the way ... I really enjoyed this, but I'm going to start with the things I didn't like.
There were some aspects that really annoyed me. What on earth does Disney have to do with anything? Also, the excessively United-States-centric viewpoint, but that's something that usually annoys me. The scientist in me wanted references constantly. I was hoping for a list of further reading at the end, but there wa...more
I have noticed two things here, first there is a book called “Evolution of Human Intellect” by L.N. Smith, and then an adaptation of the book into a film/play titled “Spirit Mountain” by the same author. Therefore, I will assume that the dialogue in the play is the actual content in the book that I don’t have. And my comments are based only on these 43 pages.
To be honest I was attracted by the title Evolution of Human intellect. Intellect (dictionary definition) is the ability to think reason an...more
To be honest I was attracted by the title Evolution of Human intellect. Intellect (dictionary definition) is the ability to think reason an...more
First the title of this book promises too much, it really does not deliver what it states. The use of the Disney theme ride and Sara, the guide, is completely unnecessary and really detracts from the ideas presented in the book. I was really annoyed by that and almost gave up on the book altogether.
The book though does have some redeeming qualities and some of the ideas presented by the author do make you think e.g. nature causes nurture, emotional signalling and loss of hair in females. In thi...more
The book though does have some redeeming qualities and some of the ideas presented by the author do make you think e.g. nature causes nurture, emotional signalling and loss of hair in females. In thi...more
Disclaimer: A relatively short, but still an intriguing and powerful way to look at human development.
I will admit to being thrown off by the book being told through a Disney ride. I honestly think it could have been told without the Disney ride aspect. It didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. I just found it odd. An incredible amount of time is covered in this book and while they are large gaps of time, most of the important time periods and moments in time are dealt with.
I personally...more
I will admit to being thrown off by the book being told through a Disney ride. I honestly think it could have been told without the Disney ride aspect. It didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. I just found it odd. An incredible amount of time is covered in this book and while they are large gaps of time, most of the important time periods and moments in time are dealt with.
I personally...more
The writing style was certainly engaging, though at times maybe... strange or unexpected. This book doesn't *tell* you the evolution of human intellect so much as it *shows* you, as if you were on one of those Disney rides with animatronic people on the sides. I've been to Disney World a few times and I could really picture the author's descriptions vividly, especially the "intro movie" of the opening chapter, though at times I had trouble keeping track of everything (such as which type of bridg...more
The author sent me a "coupon" to read this book for free.
I find the method used to tell this story (the roller coaster ride) to be different, but useful and, to some extent, fun. But since I came into this book blind (in terms of the author's background and intent), I also find it to be questionable.
There are two aspects to this book: evolutionary history and evolution of thought. I have a problem with the evolutionary history aspect because without a solid bibliography, we're left with a tale...more
I find the method used to tell this story (the roller coaster ride) to be different, but useful and, to some extent, fun. But since I came into this book blind (in terms of the author's background and intent), I also find it to be questionable.
There are two aspects to this book: evolutionary history and evolution of thought. I have a problem with the evolutionary history aspect because without a solid bibliography, we're left with a tale...more
I would like to start with a thank you to L.N Smith for allowing me to read the book.
First of all, the title completely attracted me to it. It's just such a powerful title that seems full of interesting features... but I do not believe the story, or rather information, is as powerful. I do not comprehend everything (though I think that's only because of my lower level of understanding texts).
Second of all, it is a short piece which I would thought would be enough to understand 'the evolution of...more
First of all, the title completely attracted me to it. It's just such a powerful title that seems full of interesting features... but I do not believe the story, or rather information, is as powerful. I do not comprehend everything (though I think that's only because of my lower level of understanding texts).
Second of all, it is a short piece which I would thought would be enough to understand 'the evolution of...more
The scene for THE EVOLULTION OF THE HUMAN INTELLECT is a theater at Disney World. You are standing, surrounded by nine screens. The lights dim, you hear three taps of an orchestra conductor’s baton, followed by the Concert A played by an oboe. It is represented by a white line. Other lines and other instruments join in, each representing a different instrument. During the warm up time, the lines are unfocused, but once the actual piece begins, they “perform a dance of elegant patterns” providin...more
I had signed up to attempt to receive this book through Goodreads First Reads, however the Author contacted me and offered me an ebook version instead. I jumped at the chance, naturally, because I love my kindle and I love free things.
I didn’t like the first 13% of this book. Not even a little bit. I couldn’t figure out the point that was trying to be made. I know that you can’t really know the point until it’s finished being made, but I kind of like to know what direction I’m being lead in, yo...more
I didn’t like the first 13% of this book. Not even a little bit. I couldn’t figure out the point that was trying to be made. I know that you can’t really know the point until it’s finished being made, but I kind of like to know what direction I’m being lead in, yo...more
Took me a while to read this, despite its short length. Maybe because I read everything twice to fully comprehend it.
I really loved the fact that it's a non-fiction book that contains elements of fiction - which is quite difficult to accomplish successfully. I loved its concept and the core idea behind it. You can obviously tell that the author knows their...stuff, and is not joking around when it comes to the bibliography they've read.
I can't say I'm interested in the topic this book deals wit...more
I really loved the fact that it's a non-fiction book that contains elements of fiction - which is quite difficult to accomplish successfully. I loved its concept and the core idea behind it. You can obviously tell that the author knows their...stuff, and is not joking around when it comes to the bibliography they've read.
I can't say I'm interested in the topic this book deals wit...more
I joined in the giveaway of this book, but i didn't win the actual book. in fact, it hasn't been announce yet. But Smith has given me coupon just like others and was able to download its pdf file.
So first of all, thank you for sharing a pdf copy to me :)
for your kindness, I'll review with full honesty ^^
at first it was confusing and i can't understand what it was trying to say. I guess, the style how this was done was unexpected and not really in direct to the point.
I still continued despite of...more
So first of all, thank you for sharing a pdf copy to me :)
for your kindness, I'll review with full honesty ^^
at first it was confusing and i can't understand what it was trying to say. I guess, the style how this was done was unexpected and not really in direct to the point.
I still continued despite of...more
Let me just start out by saying that I have read some of the other reviews that previous readers of this book have posted and I have also seen some of the ratings given this book, but I do not retract my 5 star rating whatsoever considering these factors.
Now for my reasoning behind the rating.
I gave this book a 5 star rating because of the information given in the text and not for the authors use of colorful written images or Disney theme park rides. Although, those did not hurt in my like of t...more
Now for my reasoning behind the rating.
I gave this book a 5 star rating because of the information given in the text and not for the authors use of colorful written images or Disney theme park rides. Although, those did not hurt in my like of t...more
A strange ride (literally) through human evolution.
Some ideas worthy of further consideration:
"Nature causes nurture."
Loss of female facial hair facilitated prolonged emotional contact with babies.
The Minoans of Crete were the lost civilization of Atlantis.
***
I must say that I didn't find the theme-park ride to be the most effective vehicle (as it were) for this book. The visual/film analogies became a bit obtuse at times, and I felt that they distracted me from the material. I also found the na...more
Some ideas worthy of further consideration:
"Nature causes nurture."
Loss of female facial hair facilitated prolonged emotional contact with babies.
The Minoans of Crete were the lost civilization of Atlantis.
***
I must say that I didn't find the theme-park ride to be the most effective vehicle (as it were) for this book. The visual/film analogies became a bit obtuse at times, and I felt that they distracted me from the material. I also found the na...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I received a free e-copy of this book from the author and I can't thank him enough.
I learned so much from it. My high rating is because of its educational content. I find the primary thesis of emotion as the architect of intellect to be true and many of his arguments made a lot of sense. I would recommend it for someone who wants to learn a lot from a short number of pages =].
Nonetheless, some of the arguments did not make sense. The thing that annoyed me was the Disney ride narrative. The bridg...more
I learned so much from it. My high rating is because of its educational content. I find the primary thesis of emotion as the architect of intellect to be true and many of his arguments made a lot of sense. I would recommend it for someone who wants to learn a lot from a short number of pages =].
Nonetheless, some of the arguments did not make sense. The thing that annoyed me was the Disney ride narrative. The bridg...more
The title of the book is 'The Evolution of the Human Intellect: Discover the Information that School and Religion Aren't Yet Teaching'. Reading this title I had high expectations of this book, but my expectations aren't fulfilled.
Judging the title and the short content on Goodreads, I expected an informative book, instead it was a story told by Sarah, the guide who leads us through a ride in Disney Land explaining the evolution of the human intellect. It was difficult to imagine such kind of ri...more
Judging the title and the short content on Goodreads, I expected an informative book, instead it was a story told by Sarah, the guide who leads us through a ride in Disney Land explaining the evolution of the human intellect. It was difficult to imagine such kind of ri...more
I received a free electronic copy of this book from the author via Smashwords. The book takes you on an amusement park ride to various points in hominin history discussing the development of human intellect within the larger context of human evolution and evolutionary theory.
I was not expecting the fictional framework for discussing science in the way it was done, so I'm still deciding what I think of it. I am a scientist and was hoping, based on the title, that there would be more science and r...more
I was not expecting the fictional framework for discussing science in the way it was done, so I'm still deciding what I think of it. I am a scientist and was hoping, based on the title, that there would be more science and r...more
Nov 18, 2012
Sarah
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Sarah by:
L.N. Smith
Shelves:
nonfiction-science
I signed up to win this book in a GR giveaway, I didn't win the 'real' book, but the author contacted me with the offer of a free ebook version in return for a review. This has not impacted my ability to review it honestly and critically.
11/11 - The ebook is very short, only 72 pages and I'm at the half way point. I have just stopped reading for the night and since I already had my laptop out in order to read the ebook (I don't have an ereader, so I use Adobe Digital Editions on my laptop) I dec...more
11/11 - The ebook is very short, only 72 pages and I'm at the half way point. I have just stopped reading for the night and since I already had my laptop out in order to read the ebook (I don't have an ereader, so I use Adobe Digital Editions on my laptop) I dec...more
I found the title “Evolution of Human Intellect” irresistible, although the subtitle “Discover the Information that Schools and Religions Aren’t Yet Teaching” dampened my enthusiasm somewhat. Superlatives and “this will change your life” kind of allegations have the tendency to make me dubious rather then hopeful. In fact, I found nothing revolutionary in the text, but it did describe one way of looking at the evolution of human intellect. In doing so, there were a few thought-provoking and nice...more
I was given a free copy of this book by the author.
With all due respect to the author of this book, who was kind enough to give me a copy, I found the device of the Disneyland ride both bewildering and irritating. I didn't understand what it had to do with what the author was trying to convey, and it was irritating enough to keep me from finishing the book, an occurrence that rarely happens.
I had high hopes for this book. If the author ever rewrites it as a straightforward laying out of his poin...more
With all due respect to the author of this book, who was kind enough to give me a copy, I found the device of the Disneyland ride both bewildering and irritating. I didn't understand what it had to do with what the author was trying to convey, and it was irritating enough to keep me from finishing the book, an occurrence that rarely happens.
I had high hopes for this book. If the author ever rewrites it as a straightforward laying out of his poin...more
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in conjunction with the Goodreads book giveaways.
Based on the title (and my background as a biologist) I expected this to be a book written from a (empirical)scientific perspective. In actual fact it is more metaphysical. Nevertheless I found it a thought provoking read. If you are expecting popular science you will be disappointed, but if your interest runs to metaphysics you are likely to find it interesting.
Based on the title (and my background as a biologist) I expected this to be a book written from a (empirical)scientific perspective. In actual fact it is more metaphysical. Nevertheless I found it a thought provoking read. If you are expecting popular science you will be disappointed, but if your interest runs to metaphysics you are likely to find it interesting.
The Evolution of Human Intellect is a very interesting book in many ways. It treats very easily the theme, so people of all ages can read it. It's not a long and boring scientifc book, you enjoy your reading and learn at the same time. It's also an important theme that we almost don't discuss. When and how did we begin to think?! Was a very long journey till we came to where we are today,and L.N. Smith presents this journey to us in a different way of writing,that I have to say felt strange to m...more
The premise of this book is a journey through the evolution of the human intellect. The backdrop is the guise of a Disney ride that takes you through all of the different time periods and demonstrates how humans have evolved and also speculates on the future of human evolution. I have to admit, when I first read started reading this, the setting of the Disney park seemed ridiculous, even campy. But, I have to admit that it actually works for the story. This is a good read if you're looking for a...more
Disclaimer : I received a free electronic copy from the author.
Rating: 3.5 stars
The movie style narrative of the book proved to be confusing at first and by the time I got used to that, the problem of unnecessary repetition of certain lines like "atoms lead to molecules...." hindered further interest in reading.
However, it was interesting to know the deeper meaning behind each scene or song that the author presented especially the one about the various stages in climbing a mountain which I mus...more
Rating: 3.5 stars
The movie style narrative of the book proved to be confusing at first and by the time I got used to that, the problem of unnecessary repetition of certain lines like "atoms lead to molecules...." hindered further interest in reading.
However, it was interesting to know the deeper meaning behind each scene or song that the author presented especially the one about the various stages in climbing a mountain which I mus...more
The book dithers in the beginning chapters, failing to grasp either one's attention or a point, any point...
However, after a while there is some sense to it all, and the author eventually provides the information suggested by the title!
I think the subject of this book would benefit from a re-write, without the Disneyesque appeal. The author has the ability to grab ones's attention, but could do more to present this as a serious topic which people should be aware of.
However, after a while there is some sense to it all, and the author eventually provides the information suggested by the title!
I think the subject of this book would benefit from a re-write, without the Disneyesque appeal. The author has the ability to grab ones's attention, but could do more to present this as a serious topic which people should be aware of.
I struggled with this book. Unfortunately I had to reread almost every chapter two or three times as it just wasn't sinking in. The bits of information that I managed to retain was fascinating but the rest I struggled with. I think I would have preferred this book being read to me preferably with a slide show to emphasis the important bits.
I received a free e-copy of this book from the author.
The starting of the book was a little weird, and the disney theme ride aspect and the guide lost me a bit, but from somewhere chapter 4-5 it started to make sense. In the end it all found its place.
I enjoyed this book, although it wasn't what I was expecting, and I would have loved to read about this topic in a little more pages.
The starting of the book was a little weird, and the disney theme ride aspect and the guide lost me a bit, but from somewhere chapter 4-5 it started to make sense. In the end it all found its place.
I enjoyed this book, although it wasn't what I was expecting, and I would have loved to read about this topic in a little more pages.
When I started this book, it made me think "Did I really want to read a weird book of movie scenes, what is the point in it?". But from somewhere from chapter 3-4 it started to make sense. In the end even the weird starting made sense, it all found its place.
It is a story about the evolution of human thinking - how it has changed during the history, when and how, and how it has influenced our future. And it is all wrapped inside of a science fiction story.
It was quite interesting and I must sa...more
It is a story about the evolution of human thinking - how it has changed during the history, when and how, and how it has influenced our future. And it is all wrapped inside of a science fiction story.
It was quite interesting and I must sa...more
DISCLAIMER: I received this book free from the author.
This was a quick read and pretty thought-provoking. It seemed to be more about philosophy than science, but there was some psychology, sociology, biology, and history included (some was accurate, some I'm not sure about).
It's told as a story reminiscent of the old educational movies we watched in school, which helps create visuals that keep it fun and interesting, maybe a little nostalgic.
But overall I'm not so big on the idea of intellectua...more
This was a quick read and pretty thought-provoking. It seemed to be more about philosophy than science, but there was some psychology, sociology, biology, and history included (some was accurate, some I'm not sure about).
It's told as a story reminiscent of the old educational movies we watched in school, which helps create visuals that keep it fun and interesting, maybe a little nostalgic.
But overall I'm not so big on the idea of intellectua...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »





















Apr 21, 2012 04:55am