How to Build a Human: In Seven Evolutionary Steps

by Pamela S. Turner, John Gurche (artist)

The epic story of our evolution in seven big steps!

How did we become who we are? With trademark wit, acclaimed science writer Pamela S. Turner breaks down human evolution into the seven most important steps leading to Homo sapiens. How, when, and why did we:

1.stand up,
2.smash rocks,
3.get swelled heads,
4.take a hike,
5.invent barbecue,
6.start talking (and never shut up), and
7.become storytellers?

This fascinating, wickedly funny account of our evolutionary journey turns science into an irresistible story. Vetted by experts at the Smithsonian's Human Origins Program, the book also features incredibly detailed portraits by celebrated paleo-artist John Gurche that bring our early ancestors to life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Middle Grade, History, Childrens, Evolution, Teen

166 pages, Hardcover

Published April 12, 2022

About the author

Pamela S. Turner has an abiding fascination with science, animals, evolution, and a special interest in Japanese history. She is the author of award-winning books for young readers, including HOW TO BUILD A HUMAN: IN SEVEN EVOLUTIONARY STEPS, an ALA Notable Book, SAMURAI RISING, a YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award finalist, as well as CROW SMARTS and THE FROG SCIENTIST, both winners of the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books. Her newest book, COMET CHASER, is the true Cinderella story of Caroline Herschel, the first professional woman astronomer.

When not writing, she practices kendo (Japanese sword fighting) and volunteers as a wildlife rehabilitator specializing in crows and ravens.

Visit her website and sign up for her newsletter at www.pamelasturner.com, follow her on Instagram at @pamela.s.turner, Twitter @psturnerbooks, and Facebook /psturnerbooks/.

Reviews

[Tara Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent nonfiction for teens about the evolutionary processes that connect apes to humans. The writing style is notably teen-friendly here, particularly in regards to the relative brevity, conversational writing style, and sassy footnotes. Everything is explained well for the novice, and the dots are connected without extra fluff.

The sassy footnotes were my favorite part.

Read this because it is a Printz contender. I don't think it'll take a medal, but it could certainly win an Excellence in Nonfiction distinction!

[Thomas Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was interesting, and there were a ton of fun pictures to go along with the story the author was telling. But there are some significant problems with the book.

The author thinks she is smarter than she actually is. She sounded like a paleo-anthropologist who did very well in her hyper-focused graduate studies but should probably retake the advanced biology course. She knew all sorts of dates and facts, and she has all the references to back them up. But miserable was the interpretation thereof. For example, she seems to think that the only measure of intelligence is the ratio of brain capacity vs weight. Yeah, Dolphins might be smarter than chimps, but they sure as heck weren't smarter than Homo Erectus, even with a better ratio.

The author also does an embarrasing-dad version of pandering. She tries to seem cool by relating everything to Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. There are even a few Star Trek references. She makes jokes about peeing on campfires and Spongebob Squarepants. Yes, you can bring in modern references, but the way you do it diminishes your credibility.

The author is also highly speculative. She usually admits to it when she does it - I'll give her that. But still, if this book is given to a kid, then they are likely going to 'learn' about a lot of things which are probably not true.

Lastly, the author shows her dark side a few times. She is very focused on being all-inclusive. But the only time she mentions wars she calls them 'religious wars,' and her only references to religion are in religious wars and excuses ancient hominins probably gave themselves to try to justify their own existence.

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richie’s Picks: HOW TO BUILD A HUMAN IN SEVEN EVOLUTIONARY STEPS by Pamela S. Turner and John Gurche, ill. Charlesbridge, April 2022, 176p., ISBN: 978-1-62354-250-4

“I don't feel safe in this world no more
I don't want to die in a nuclear war
I want to sail away to a distant shore and make like an apeman”
– The Kinks (1970)

“There’s plenty of tool using and toolmaking elsewhere in the animal kingdom. But there’s still one kind of tool behavior that appears unique to humans and our direct ancestors: using a tool to make another tool. Along with upright walking, this ability is the foundation of humanity.”

“The level of public acceptance of evolution in the United States is now solidly above the halfway mark, according to a new study based on a series of national public opinion surveys conducted over the last 35 years.
‘From 1985 to 2010, there was a statistical dead heat between acceptance and rejection of evolution," said lead researcher Jon D. Miller of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. "But acceptance then surged, becoming the majority position in 2016.’
Examining data over 35 years, the study consistently identified aspects of education -- civic science literacy, taking college courses in science and having a college degree -- as the strongest factors leading to the acceptance of evolution.
‘Almost twice as many Americans held a college degree in 2018 as in 1988,’ said co-author Mark Ackerman, a researcher at Michigan Engineering, the U-M School of Information and Michigan Medicine. ‘It's hard to earn a college degree without acquiring at least a little respect for the success of science.’”
– Public Understanding of Science (2021)

Some nonfiction books, such as biographies, hold up well over time. In contrast, science-based nonfiction does not. It can easily become dated and factually incorrect. It’s important for children’s and teen collections to have quality, up-to-date science titles.

HOW TO BUILD A HUMAN IN SEVEN EVOLUTIONARY STEPS is a fascinating new book that contains cutting edge information about the evolution of humankind. Approximately half of the numerous resources listed in the bibliography have been published within the last ten years. All that new information and the way that the book is written will make it enjoyable for parents to read HOW TO BUILD A HUMAN along with their middle school and high school students. The book has a perfect balance, presenting lots of interesting information without getting us lost in the weeds.

The story told by Ms. Turner is well-ordered and very entertaining. The seven “steps” within which the story is framed are:

We Stand Up
We Smash Rocks
We Get Swelled Heads
We Take a Hike
We Invent Barbecue
We Start Talking
We Become Storytellers

As author Pamela Turner makes clear, there is still so much to discover about the roots of homo sapiens. We certainly have a lot more pieces of the puzzle then we had before today’s DNA testing, and new archaeological sites are being uncovered all the time.

It was challenging to wrap my head around the great lengths of time that passed between one evolutionary step or major migration and another. Using our calendar, we measure events based on distance from an event that happened 2022 years ago, so two thousand years seems like forever. But the events in this book happen on a scale of tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of years. Thinking of these time spans made me feel like an insignificant dot along a timeline whose duration I can barely conceive. In an era when many Americans resist and are skeptical of science, with dire consequences, it’s more important than ever to get kids hooked on learning how things really work, such as the topic taught in this book.

This gem of a book will captivate and enlighten tweens and teens.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com

[Bkrieth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating science paired with a very humorous voice makes this book an enjoyable and educational read. It’s worth it for the footnotes alone.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The book is geared towards younger readers, ages 10-13, according to the book’s entry in amazon.com. I am well, well beyond any definition of a younger reader, but to me this is a great strength of the book. It is a concise look at human evolution, without getting into the details that a lot of other books do, such as the backgrounds of the scientists involved and who discovered what. The writing is conversational and clever, with lots of humor. The footnotes are well-worth reading as well. There are several maps for clarity and lots of great portraits. But don’t stop reading at the end of the conclusion. After the conclusion are several sections well worth reading, including the author’s notes and a list of hominins. This is a great book for younger or older people who want a snappy look at human evolution. Thank you to Netgalley and Charlesbridge for the advance reader copy.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This was really great. Entertaining and informative, made learning about human evolution really fascinating! I really appreciated the theme of connection among humans.

Not intended to be a thorough and complete scientific analysis, but enough of the story to whet the appetite of young readers and engage them for further and deeper study.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a delightful and captivating book to read

[Natalie Tate · Rating 4 out of 5]

For your reading enjoyment, here are the seven steps of evolution (explored in much more detail in How to Build a Human)—1) We stand up. 2) We smash rocks. 3) We get swelled heads. 4) We take a hike. 5) We invent barbecue. 6) We start talking (and never shut up). 7) We become storytellers.

Overall, this is a good intro for the teen paleontologist/archaeologist in your life—or, really, for any interested adult, including you! Over 50% of the source material in this book is less than 10 years old, so it's pretty up-to-date. Footnotes add silly asides that connect evolution with pop culture. And although I don't agree with some of Turner's opinions and speculations, I will agree that this book is a well-written primer about human evolution, a topic that I didn't encounter until university.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What makes us human and how did we become what we are today? How to Build a Human by Pamela S. Turner answers these questions. How to build a human explains our evolution and life styles of our prehistoric ancestors. It explains the environment around them and ecological changes that made them over time develop into modern-day homosapiens. It manges to acomplish explaining all of this human history in seven steps. I feel that a quote from the book itself explains the main idea significantly better than I can, "How to Build a Human is the story of how we came to be. It's the tale of our extended family, our direct ancestors as well as our cousins." I think the book is informative and interesting and that anyone interested in human ancestry should read it.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turner presents human evolution thoroughly and in careful detail, but also with humorous asides, to middle- and high-school-age readers. I liked that readers are trusted to hold complex interrelations in their minds while the timelines of various hominids overlap and have unique earthly locations. (Sadly, the actual timeline in the back-matter is in list format, missing a great opportunity for a bar-graph style timeline!!!)

I appreciated the humor, which seems aimed to give middle-school readers a chance to chuckle and relieve some of the tension required in keeping track of the specific evolutionary skills described.

Turner's note about race is significant, as are the other pieces of information in the Author's Notes in the back-matter - so I'm not sure why they were not included in the main text. I hope all readers will find those notes and take them as integral to the rest of the book.

The framing device - that human beings evolved from apes in seven major steps (or leaps) - is an effective way to allow readers to "chunk" their understanding and therefore recall it more easily. Each "step" is actually an assortment of changes affecting multiple qualities of physique, mental capacity, or other adaptations...not one.

Extensive Source Notes for each chapter are arranged not by page number but in sequential topic areas. That means that even together with the good Index, readers may still have difficulty assessing which facts have strong scientific concurrence and which are still disputed. While I personally believe that young readers can rely on Turner for this credible assessment - which most of them will, the fact remains that educators or administrators in the current environment, pressured by some of their parents or teachers (usually the religious ones), will wish she made it easier to confirm her statements by reading the primary-source, published scientific evidence themselves. Note that Turner is very careful about differentiating between guesses and evidence.

There are some particularly dramatic moments; the handprints made with pigment on stone walls found on every continent, the fossilized bones showing that a hominid was alive into old age years after their injuries or defects would have made them incapable of caring for themself - proving some hominids took care of one another, and many more dramatic, singular stories related to specific findings of paleoanthropologists.

The Forward by Kenyan woman Dr. Habiba Chirchir of The Smithsonian is a wonderful introduction, that should put to rest any potential objection that all stories of evolution are racist.

Happily, Turner echoes the evolutionary philosophy presented also by Bill Nye in Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation that each tiny step of evolution is the "good enough" outcome of whatever mutations happened to occur - in nuanced contrast to the ubiquitous idea that "survival of the fittest" is the operational mechanism. This is crucially important because it gives conscientious honor and respect to all species, rather than assuming the most-modern version of any lineage is the only best one.

I very much enjoyed reading this - it looks more dense and challenging than it actually felt. A good candidate for a recorded book, to make the concepts accessible to a wider audience, although of course it is tremendously useful to see the illustrations.

[Librariann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I begrudgingly withdrew Lucy Long Ago (c. 2009) from the collection recently due to advances in paleoanthropology (Denisovans!), and I have been on the lookout for an updated book that covers human evolution in an approachable narrative format. This exceeded my expectations! Like Mary Roach, Turner employs humor and humorous footnotes to great effect, and the illustrations and artifact photos create an immediate human connection to our ancestors and cousins.

Problem? This is not a book that your average kid will pick up. It may appeal more to adults who are interested in paleoanthropology but not looking to read a weighty tome than to middle school aged kids and teens, even if I feel like a savvy and advanced 6th grader would have their mind blown. Turner does do a great job of creating kid-friendly metaphors:

FOXP2 is not a new video game. It's a gene connected to language ability. Scientists don't full understand FOXP2's function, but people born with a defective FOXP2 gene have trouble putting sentences together. It's as if their language app didn't fully download.

But even though she explains evolution in simple terms, and you could come into this with relatively little base knowledge, it's still a LOT of very specific concept to take in.

My best guess? Give it to your science-minded kid who has visited the Field Museum's Evolving Planet exhibit and wants to learn more.

A top-notch science book that should be short-listed for the Sibert

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synergy: Human Evolution

Human evolution is the long process of change from now-extinct primates to a distinct species of hominid, the Homo sapien. All humans originated from ape-like ancestors that evolved over six million years.

Read the recently published nonfiction book for youth then learn more at the website.

HOW TO BUILD A HUMAN IN SEVEN EVOLUTIONARY STEPS by Pamela S. Turner mixes science with humor to tell the story of human evolution. In seven chapters focusing on the unique aspects of human development, Turner shares the story of how, when, and why we became human. Maps, photographs, and other illustrations along with a conversational approach to storytelling contribute to a fun-filled way to learn about human evolution. The book includes an author’s note, dating information, a glossary, timeline, a list of hominin members, resources, and more.

The HUMAN ORIGINS PROGRAM website from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History features exhibits, research, multimedia resources, and educational materials related to human evolution and related areas of science.

To visit the website, go to https://humanorigins.si.edu/.

ARC courtesy of Charlesbridge.

[Ann]

Fantastic! Extremely informative, but with a light tone that makes the presentation of a lot of information seem effortless. The footnotes are quite funny. The "seven steps" of evolution allows for the book to be organized both chronologically (more or less) and also in chunks that allow the author to explore the impact of each ability, whether it's explaining why a bigger brain has its tradeoffs (higher energy consumption, more difficult births, longer infancy) or why the ability to communicate through speech is different from the ability to create complex storytelling. There is also a lot of good explanation about clades (though they aren't called that) and how there can be "sibling species" and how homo heidelbergensis evolved into three separate species - Neanderthals in Europe, one I can't remember the name of in Asia, and homo sapiens in Africa - because of different environmental conditions, and the ways in which these species interacted.

Overall, just very well done. Excellent nonfiction for a young audience.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was young, I was taught a literal interpretation of the Genesis account of creation at church and was never taught much about the remains of early humans in school. So although this book was written for young readers, I actually read it to fill in gaps in my knowledge. Overall, I really appreciated Turner's presentation of the various finds and how she shows what scientists try to extrapolate from remains they've found. This is also the problem with the book: she extrapolates into the area of religion, suggesting a non-supernatural reason why early people began to believe in gods. This is fine, but she doesn't leave room for another explanation that many people around the world believe, including many scientists, that people believe in God because God exists. So, I recommend this with reservations. I'm still trying to find a well-written, scientifically accurate account of early humans that also recognizes God as creator.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best, clearest explanation of how humans became modern humans I've read. It even includes humorously snarky asides to make it even more interesting. How can you beat for interest such basic steps as "We Smash Rocks", or "We Invent Barbecue", or even "We Start Talking (and Never Shut Up)"? I liked that the author simplified the names a bit, so that for instance all the many varieties of Australopithecus (afarensis, africanus, sediba, etc) got shortened to "Australopiths". Extensive Author's Notes are interesting too, as she discusses race (biologically no basis, but very culturally relevant), the theory of evolution (and it's various types), and the various methods for dating discoveries. Further back matter includes a Glossary, Time line, complete list of the hominin family, recommended resources, extensive bibliography and an index.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and encompassing - but always easy to comprehend - examination of how we became human, following the long twisted path from after the dinosaurs died out to the point when all our other hominid "siblings" died out and we were the only ones left circa 40,000 years ago.

Turner does an excellent job showing that evolution does NOT have a blueprint, but rather always works with what's available and goes with what works "good enough" in the moment. We are by now means some sort of "peak perfection" but rather what was at hand, and what helped us survive several rough environments.

This not only shows what makes us human, but also shows how were are alike and how we differ from our closest relatives, both alive, like chimpanzees, and deceased, such as the "hobbit" species.

A great book for anyone wants to learn more about how we became human.

[Michelle Cusolito · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Build a Human in Seven Evolutionary Steps by Pamela S. Turner with art by John Gurche
This is the second middle grade non-fiction I’ve read this month and it does not disappoint. I read it in just a couple of days. This is an amazingly well-researched investigation of what we know (and don’t know) about human evolution. Engaging text will keep readers turning the pages (This is NOT a dry textbook). And don’t miss the footnotes, which are both informative and hilarious. I also appreciate “A Note on Race” which is part of the Author’s Note. “…race isn’t about DNA… Race is a way of classifying people (most often white people of European descent) to justify oppression and discrimination.” Perfect for upper elementary and middle school libraries. Adult readers will learn as much as kids.

[benita · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging book about the human origin.

I found this book to be very interesting. It was a book about human history, the evolution, the how, and when and why the human: stood up, smashed rocks, got swelled heads, took a hike, invented barbecue, started talking; and never shut up (lol), and became storytellers.

If you are interested in reading and learning about the homo sapiens story through the years, this book will be a perfect read. I really liked how it was explained simply, and not with an overly difficult explanations, since I’m not an expert on the subject, just a curious reader. A great journey through the evolutionary journey.

I got this book for free from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book excels in making early hominids approachable and "real" with artist renderings by John Gurche of early hominids and discussions of what daily life would have been like. While actually a YA book, it is enjoyable for adults in that it summarizes and simplifies a huge amount of research in an accurate way. It turned into a page-turner for me. Published in 2022 so very up to date. The photos of amazing artifacts are carefully selected to illustrate the precise points the author is making. There are good discussions in the notes about what constitutes a reliable scientific theory and how race is not a scientifically useful way of thinking about human genetic diversity. Recommended by the AAAS journal Science.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rather short book. 40% of it is sources, bibliography, acknowledgments, etc. It is an easy read for those who have no scientific background or those who do can enjoy a lighthearted condensation of human development. (Don't forget to read the footnotes as you read the book).
I would like to read the theories about why different races developed different traits. Some of us have slanted eyes (why?), some of us have light skin and blue eyes, some dark skin and different facial features. I would like to know what purpose the different facial features served. The author just says that we are all the human race, true, by why did some develop differently? Just wondering.

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores human evolution which started with Hominins 7-6 million years ago to Homo sapiens about 300,000 years ago. Turner looks at seven steps that lead us from Hominins to where we are today as a species. She explains the science in understandable terms and includes humorous footnotes throughout the book. The book also includes various color photographs and drawings of this evolutionary process. The end of the book has a glossary, a time line, list of the the Hominin Family, and a bibliography. A well researched and engaging book for future paleontologists who are 10-14 years of age.

[Miz Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accessible, easy to read, and packed with the newest scientific discoveries, this is an engaging way to learn about human evolution, prehistory, and scientific discovery. I appreciated the progression the author used for the seven evolutionary steps: We Stand Up, We Smash Rocks, We Get Swelled Heads, We Take a Hike, We Invent Barbecue, We Start Talking (and Never Shut Up), We Become Storytellers (especially the storyteller part). The colloquialisms and media references will certainly appeal to children but may also date the book rather quickly.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject matter was boring to me, It wouldn't have matter how well written it was I would still be like "are we done yet". Anthropology and evolution aren't interesting to me. I like tangible history not this is how it could have been 7 million years ago.
I did learn some things and that was worthwhile.

However, the hilarious footnotes is what got me through. They were great!
If you want to be a dr. or scientist or even a coroner, you might dig this book. I ate chocolate at the end to celebrate it being finished.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The publisher has this book as middle grade, I'd probably go with YA. It'd be pretty tough for most of the middle grade readers I know, though I do have one I plan to recommend it to.

I thought it was well explained and logically divided and appreciated the wealth of back matter.

I'm curious to see other feedback, since a lot of the little side comments felt aimed at older people. (I enjoyed them but not sure tweens will or if they'll feel dated.)

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who took evolutionary psychology in college and barely remembers anything from it (probably because I had a hard time focusing on any of it), I was expecting to skim this book. But Pamela S. Turner has written an entertaining book about evolution. A ton of interesting facts without being overwhelming and the footnotes are really funny.

[Giselle · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable, humorous, very informative look at what evolutionary changes made humans uniquely human. I really enjoy this topic, so this book was right up my alley. I only gave it 3 stars because I'm not sure there are many kids that would read this cover to cover. But if you had a special child who was very interested in pre-historic humanity or in human biology, this could be a hit.

[Connie T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using humor, examples, and accessible vocabulary Turner tells the story of how we became human. She does this by focusing on seven evolutionary milestones that were pivotal in our journey, starting with being able to walk upright and ending with the importance of storytelling. This is a compelling and fascinating read.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for the Charlie May Simon Award Committee. This book was FILLED with information. It is recommended for grades 5th-6th, but it reads older to me. I'm not sure any middle school kid would stick around for the end of this book--because it was just so much info! The photos were very interesting and will catch some attention.

[Doreen Klein Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so interesting and engaging! From Step One to Step Seven, Pamela Turner has created a masterpiece that tells the story of our evolutionary journey. The art by John Gurche is equally captivating. Nonfiction lovers of all ages will truly enjoy this story of humankind.

[Kassy Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative and well researched book about human evolution written in a very engaging and amusing style. Even though it was about humans, I found the most interesting bit to be about the prehistoric animals they lived alongside (but that’s just me).