August 2, 2011
47 Must Read Books That Explain Human Evolution
Here’s a well-rounded list of books that will tell you the basics of mankind’s evolution from primate to modern man. It includes books on the paleoanthropology,
archeology, paleo-everything, primate behavior, evolution of those features that characterize our human-ness and more. I’ve read every book on this list, keep most of them in my library. I wish I could read each one again for the first time:
- Allen, E.A., The Prehistoric World Central Publishing House 1886
- Caird, Rod Apeman: The Story of Human Evolution MacMillan 1994
- Calvin, William, and Bickerton, Derek Lingua ex Machina: Reconciling Darwin and Chomsky with the Human BrainMIT Press, 2000
- Carss, Bob and Birch, Stewart The SAS Guide to Tracking Lyons Press Guilford Conn. 2000
- Cavalli-Sforza, Luigi Luca and Cavalli-Sforza, Francesco The Great Human Diasporas: The History of Diversity and Evolution Perseus Press 1995
- Conant, Dr. Levi Leonard The Number Concept: Its Origin and Development Macmillan and Co. Toronto 1931
- Diamond, Jared The Third Chimpanzee Harper Perennial 1992
- Edey, Maitland Missing Link Time-Life Books 1972
- Erickson, Jon Glacial Geology: How Ice Shapes the Land Facts on File Inc. 1996
- Fleagle, John Primate Adaptation and Evolution Academic Press 1988
- Fossey, Dian Gorillas in the Mist Houghton Mifflin 1984
- Galdikas, Birute Reflections of Eden: My Years with the Orangutans of Borneo Little Brown and Co. 1995
- Goodall, Jane In the Shadow of Man Houghton Mifflin 1971
- Goodall, Jane The Jane Goodall Institute 2005 http://www.janFriendshipegoodall.com/chimp_central/chimpanzees/behavior/communication .asp
- Goodall, Jane Through a Window Houghton Mifflin 1990
- Grimaldi, David, and Engel, Michael Evolution of the Insects Cambridge University Press 2005
- Human Dawn: Timeframe Time-Life Books 1990
- Johanson, Donald and Simon, Blake Edgar From Lucy to Language Simon and Schuster 1996
- Johanson, Donald and O’Farell, Kevin Journey from the Dawn: Life with the World’s First Family Villard Books 1990
- Johanson, Donald and Edey, Maitland Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind Simon and Schuster 1981
- Johanson, Donald and Shreve, James Lucy’s Child: The Discovery of a Human Ancestor Avon 1989
- Jones, Steve, Martin, Robert, and Pilbeam, David The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution Cambridge University Press 1992
- Leakey, Richard and Lewin, Roger Origins E.P. Dutton 1977
- Leakey, Richard The Origin of Humankind Basic Books 1994
- Leakey, Louis Stone Age Africa, Negro Universities Press 1936
- Lewin, Roger In the Age of Mankind Smithsonian Books 1988
- McDougall, J.D. A Short History of the Planet Earth John Wiley and Sons 1996
- Meade, Margaret Coming of Age in Samoa
- Morris, Desmond Naked Ape Dell Publishing 1999
- Morris, Desmond The Human Zoo Kodansha International 1969
- Rezendes, Paul Tracking and the Art of Seeing: How to Read Animal Tracks and Sign Quill: A HarperResource Book 1999
- Savage-Rumbaugh, Susan, et al Kanzi: The Ape at the Brink of the Human Mind John Wiley and Sons 1996
- Spencer Larson, Clark et al Human Origins: The Fossil Record Waveland Press 1998
- Stringer, Chris, and McKee, Robin African Exodus: The Origins of Modern Humanity Henry Holt and Co. NY 1996
- Strum, Shirley C. Almost Human: A Journey into the World of Baboons Random House 1987
- Tattersall, Ian Becoming Human: Evolution and Human Uniqueness Harvest Books 1999
- Tattersall, Ian et al Encyclopedia of Human Evolution and Prehistory, Chicago: St James Press 1988
- Tattersall, Ian Fossil Trail: How We Know What We Think We Know About Human Evolution Oxford University Press 1997
- Tattersall, Ian The Human Odyssey: Four Million Years of Human Evolution Prentice Hall 1993
- Tudge Colin Time Before History Touchstone Books 1996
- Turner, Alan, and Anton, Mauricio The Big Cats and Their Fossil Relatives: An Illustrated Guide to Their Evolution and Natural History Columbia University Press NY 1997
- Vogel, Shawna Naked Earth: The New Geophysics Dutton 1995
- Vygotsky, Lev The Connection Between Thought and the Development of Language in Primitive Society 1930
- Walker, Alan and Shipman, Pat Wisdom of the Bones: In Search of Human Origins Vintage Books 1996
- Waters, JD Helpless as a Baby http://www.jdwaters.net/HAAB%20Acro/contents.pdf 2001
- Wills, Christopher Runaway Brain: The Evolution of Human Uniqueness Basic Books 1993
Do you have any you’d add?
Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-fifth grade and creator of two technology training books for middle school. She is the author of Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for five blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com, an ISTE article reviewer, an IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything and Technology in Education. Currently, she’s working on a techno-thriller that should be ready this summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
