A superb update of the 1977 bestseller Origins, in which famed anthropologist Leakey (One Life, 1984, etc.), assisted by veteran science-writer Lewin (Bones of Contention, 1987), pondered the mysteries of human nature. Leakey is the ``I'' in this first-person account, which includes not only scientific speculation about prehistoric human origins and development, but also a flurry of anecdotes from his personal adventures in the field over several decades. Autobiography and analysis both pivot on the discovery in 1984 by Leakey and his associates of ``the Turkana boy,'' a 1.5 million- year-old Homo erectus fossil. The ``eureka!'' of the find is palpable (``Could we really be on to a skeleton?...We hardly dared voice the speculation--the hope--out loud''), as is Leakey's awe. He details the Turkana boy's daily life, and contrasts Homo erectus culture to that of other early hominids. This leads to conjectures on other puzzles of prehistory: How did consciousness arise? Language? Art? Why did Neanderthals disappear? At times, the answers come by means of new paleontological tools like molecular biology and dental-growth analysis, and Leakey's explanations of these high-tech procedures--usually while detailing a pitched scientific battle between opposing researchers--are models of lucidity. Fans of scientific squabbling will also enjoy watching him keep the heat on archrival Don Johanson, discoverer of ``Lucy,'' challenging him on everything from fossil classification to the derivation of the hominid line. Less enticing, perhaps, is Leakey's philosophical materialism, in which the sole reason for human intelligence is our ``need to understand and outwit others in the drive for reproductive success.'' A few years ago, Leakey turned in his paleontological pickaxe; he now works full-time--surrounded by a retinue of bodyguards--as director of Kenya's antipoaching Wildlife Service. This may be his swan song as a fossil hunter. If so, it's a tingling farewell; if not, it's still vintage Leakey. (Forty b&w photographs--not seen.)

Twenty years after the death of his famous father Louis, the author is struggling to keep the Leakey name at the forefront of the highly contentious field of paleoanthropology. Possibly because his current position as director of the Kenya Wildlife Service occupies most of his attention, his latest effort seems halfhearted. The book offers few original contributions to the understanding of how and why humans evolved. Leakey follows an all-too-common habit among paleoanthropologists of touting his own fossil finds--in this case, a homo erectus skeleton known as the Turkana Boy--as representing the most crucial step in the evolution of our species. As a result, only a sketchy outline of the current thought on human evolution is covered. For a far more satisfying and complete popular account of the current state of paleoanthropology, try coauthor Lewin's Bones of Contention ( LJ 10/1/87). Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/92.-- Eric Hinsdale, Trinity Univ. Lib., San Antonio (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

YA-- Leakey and Lewin discuss how conceptions of human anatomical and behavioral development have been radically altered within the last 12 years by new discoveries and research in other fields. They review the developments and assert Leakey's own hypotheses based on these discoveries. Although supporting a specific view of human evolution, they also illuminate other theories and their proponents, if mainly to argue against them. This is an engrossing book written for the layperson, fully explaining anthropological terms and theories when necessary. It's a solid introduction to current theory concerning human development.-- Hugh McAloon, R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Frederick, MD (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Famed paleoanthropologist Leakey relates an intellectual odyssey, describing his discoveries of human origins and his reflections on the nature of humanity. Photos. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

The Leakeys are a family tradition in anthropology. Louis and Mary put Tanzania's Olduvai Gorge on the anthropological map with landmark fossil finds such as Homo habilis, "handy man," a toolmaking species Louis counted among our direct ancestors. Son Richard--who, with his two brothers, was dragged along on his parents' expeditions--now takes us along with his "Hominid Gang" of fossil hunters at Lake Turkana, Kenya, unraveling the mystery of "Turkana boy," the unearthed skeleton of a boy who died more than a million and a half years ago. Until Turkana boy, scientists had only fragments of the anatomy of Homo erectus, the species that stood at the threshold of humanity. But Leakey is interested in more than scientific matters. Origins Reconsidered is a journey of discovery into ourselves. It ponders what makes us human: our unique ability to create, speak, and elevate ourselves, and thus our reluctance to accept the evolutionary view that we are not preordained to some special purpose but are simply part of the same biological rule book as the other species of life. Leakey agrees with Darwin, however, who said that, "There is grandeur in this view of life." If not philosophical grandeur, this book does offer some paleontological bliss. (Reviewed Sept. 1, 1992)0385412649Philip Herbst