Where Did We Come From and Why Are We Still Here?

A little more than three years ago, I began work on Last Ape Standing: The Seven-Million-Year Story of How and Why We Survived. There were some days when I wondered if I would be left standing, but about nine months ago I completed the book and bundled it off to my publisher like a babe, hoping that when it eventually found its way into the reading world people like you would discover and enjoy it.

I wrote the book because I am, admittedly, obsessed with how creatures as strange and remarkable as us came into existence. I discovered some startling answers. Along the way I also found myself exploring the other astonishing human species who evolved along with us and our ancestors over the past seven million years -- Neanderthals, the recently discovered Denisovan and Red Deer Cave people, Homo erectus, the "Hobbits" of Indonesia (and many more). Who were they, and above all, why are we the only ones who survived when they didn't? What made the difference?

You may wonder why any of this matters, all of this rooting around in our deep past. What can any of it have to do with the 21st century? I believe that we can't possibly hope to understand who we are, or why we do what we do as individuals or as a species until we begin to get to the root of our nature. How can we hope to comprehend the tragedy of Sandy Hook, or, on the other hand, appreciate the generosity we witness during the holidays all around us? How is it that we are capable of such wildly different behaviors? Where do our motivations, talents, and marvelous traits come from? You wouldn't presume to understand Winston Churchill, Leonardo da Vinci or Lady Gaga without looking into their pasts, why should we Homo sapiens be any different?

So consider Last Ape Standing: The Seven-Million-Year Story of How and Why We Survived a kind of biography of our kind, with some telling secrets from our past illuminated.

I hope you enjoy it.

Here's a small sampling from the book. For more please visit www.chipwalter.com and click "Books."

And thanks so much for your support over the years of AllThingsHuman.net and your ongoing interest in what makes us tick. I'm hoping Last Ape Standing can help satisfy a little bit of your curiosity, but also hope you'll keep visiting ATH. We love "seeing" you.

May your holidays be warm, happy and healthy!

Very best,