Todos os dias a ciência faz novas descobertas sobre os seres humanos e o mundo que nos rodeia, mas a verdade é que muitas perguntas acerca do nosso corpo e respectivo funcionamento permanecem sem resposta. Este livro vem reflectir sobre as nossas origens recuando até aos antepassados mais longínquos, os peixes, e identificando de que forma cada um dos vários estágios de evolução deixou a sua marca. Ficamos assim a saber curiosidades como porque temos cinco dedos em cada mão e em cada pé ou o porquê da existência de órgãos totalmente ou quase inúteis. Uma abordagem informativa e actual que cativará leitores de todas as idades.
Without mincing words, this was a fascinating read.
It is a simple, lucid and logical explanation of the principles of evolutionary biology. That we all began as single celled organisms, and then through natural selection, evolved into what we are today.
Apart from the content, what wins points for me is that this book is extremely easy to read and understand. It's not written as a science book as much as a series of interesting stories. And at every point, it makes you think about the history of your body parts (your limbs, for instance, were once many millions of years ago, fins) and about the sheer beautiful underlying logic of the natural world itself, of which we are only a part.
Forget the last few chapters (where, in my opinion, Keith Harrison rambles off into medicine and all sorts of other areas that I didn't want or expect). Read this book for the first ten chapters (only a hundred pages or so, not as daunting as you'd think). And wonder!
Lovely book! Very accessible and a relatively easy read even for those of us who have very little knowledge within this field. Easy to follow, understand and appreciate!
This is an amazing book. Keith Harrison is one of the best non-fiction writers I've ever come across, and this is potentially the best book I've read all year. Covering a range of subjects from how we developed a spine to why men have nipples, this book will explain how life evolved in an informal and unintimidating manner. Also, it is refreshingly short, and the chapters were succinct and satisfying.