Christopher Wills

The Runaway Brain

How humans came to have such large brains is a bit of an evolutionary puzzle. They are very useful now, but many of our talents would seem of little use in the environment of 100000 years ago. In The Runaway Brain Christopher Wills puts forward the argument that once our intelligence exceeded a certain threshold, continued growth was pretty much inevitable, inependent of the external environment. At least that's what I think he is claiming - my one problem with the book is that although Wills gives us an excellent tour of many areas of evolution and genetics, he never seems to collect up the claims he is making into a form in which they can be judged by the reader.

The book is in four parts. The first looks at 'Mitochondrial Eve', and discusses when she might have lived. The second examines human evolution in terms of the fossils which have been found. The third part deals with genetics an looks at how certain kinds of behaviour are genetically determined. The final part moves on to brain evolution, and it is here that I hoped that Wills would bring all of the threads together to reach a conclusion, but I don't feel that he did. The book is not difficult to read, but goes into a lot of detail, and some readers might find it slow going. It's best suited to the reader who enjoys a book with plenty of challenging ideas, rather than one who wants to get to the end as quickly as possible.

Amazon.com info

Paperback 400 pages
ISBN: 0465071457
Salesrank: 1243951
Weight:1.1 lbs

Published: 1994 Basic Books

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Amazon.co.uk info

Paperback 384 pages
ISBN: 0006546722
Salesrank: 1467195
Weight:0.65 lbs

Published: 1995 Flamingo

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Amazon.ca info

Paperback 384 pages
ISBN: 0006546722
Salesrank:
Weight:0.65 lbs

Published: 1995 HarperCollins Canada / UK Adult Mm

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Product Description
A look at the human brain employs new research by paleontologists, geneticists, and neurobiologists to debunk revisionist theories of human prehistory, studying two competing theories of human evolution: the ""multiple origins"" and ""Noah's Ark"" models. National ad/promo.

Product Description

A look at the human brain employs new research by paleontologists, geneticists, and neurobiologists to debunk revisionist theories of human prehistory, studying two competing theories of human evolution: the ""multiple origins"" and ""Noah's Ark"" models. National ad/promo.

I can't believe only one person wrote a review on this book! *****
Quite simply, this is one of the best books on not just evolution, but the brain and many other areas of science which are deeply involved with one another. I cannot praise Christopher Wills' writing and his knowledge and ability to tie all this information together. If I were not living in PIttsburgh finishing my PhD on science education, I'd probably go out to San Diego and beg for a job from this guy. I picked up the book years ago while getting my BS and MS in neuroscience. I put it aside for whatever reading, then this winter got sick and started in on the book. It took me a long time to read which is very unusual for me as a speed reader, but it was more than worth the time. The thing is so much of what he wrote and taught, the reader has to back away from the book and assimilate it, so that it can make sense, especially the parts of science such as archaeology and anthropology that I did not have classes in, or much exposure to. Wills has whetted my appetite in many of these areas, and unlike many of my other books, this one will not be resold. In fact, I intend to reread it again, so I can understand more of what he teaches. So much of the science makes sense where many of my professors were totally incapable of rational explanations for certain things concerning the brain and why it developed the way it did. Wills answered many of my questions that I had. The book is not as easy to read as say something from Oliver Sacks, not because of the writing but due to the sheer amount of information Wills managed to fit into the book. This book should be a definite required reading in neuroscience as well as anthropology. As a deaf person I especially enjoyed the fact that he included information and research on deaf done by Bellugi and Neville, that shows that we are not as stupid as the world has previously assumed us to be. It also demonstrates that research into people with differences help us to understand how the brain works and rewires itself. This book is not the typical book on the brain, but rather one that explains the evolution of the brain from microorganisms from millions of years ago, to the current status of our brains. I am sure that if we are not stupid enough to ruin our planet within the next few years, our brains will continue to evolve, and things which we would considered either odd or miraculous now, will become things that we take for granted in the future... Now I have to go find his other books to read, and he better well not quit writing! Karen L. Sadler

I can't believe only one person wrote a review on this book! *****

Quite simply, this is one of the best books on not just evolution, but the brain and many other areas of science which are deeply involved with one another. I cannot praise Christopher Wills' writing and his knowledge and ability to tie all this information together. If I were not living in PIttsburgh finishing my PhD on science education, I'd probably go out to San Diego and beg for a job from this guy.

I picked up the book years ago while getting my BS and MS in neuroscience. I put it aside for whatever reading, then this winter got sick and started in on the book. It took me a long time to read which is very unusual for me as a speed reader, but it was more than worth the time. The thing is so much of what he wrote and taught, the reader has to back away from the book and assimilate it, so that it can make sense, especially the parts of science such as archaeology and anthropology that I did not have classes in, or much exposure to. Wills has whetted my appetite in many of these areas, and unlike many of my other books, this one will not be resold. In fact, I intend to reread it again, so I can understand more of what he teaches. So much of the science makes sense where many of my professors were totally incapable of rational explanations for certain things concerning the brain and why it developed the way it did. Wills answered many of my questions that I had. The book is not as easy to read as say something from Oliver Sacks, not because of the writing but due to the sheer amount of information Wills managed to fit into the book.

This book should be a definite required reading in neuroscience as well as anthropology. As a deaf person I especially enjoyed the fact that he included information and research on deaf done by Bellugi and Neville, that shows that we are not as stupid as the world has previously assumed us to be. It also demonstrates that research into people with differences help us to understand how the brain works and rewires itself.

This book is not the typical book on the brain, but rather one that explains the evolution of the brain from microorganisms from millions of years ago, to the current status of our brains. I am sure that if we are not stupid enough to ruin our planet within the next few years, our brains will continue to evolve, and things which we would considered either odd or miraculous now, will become things that we take for granted in the future...

Now I have to go find his other books to read, and he better well not quit writing!

Karen L. Sadler

Hard Science for the Rest Of Us *****
Okay, this is not my typical light-reading fare. I was browsing the Harvard book store in Cambridge, MA and saw it in the bargain bin and grabbed it. It may be the best buy I ever made. Wills walks us down the evolutionary path of mankind explaining the paleontology and genetics involved in tracing man's lineage through the years. He has a knack for writing in an entertaining style and explaining the hard science in a way that us lay-people can understand without insulting our intelligence. Though the book is several years old now, it is possibly more timely than ever as the popular press pushes the pop-science of genetics down our throats with little regard for the accuracy of the science involved. The press would have us believe that there is a "happy gene" and a "sad gene" and even a "good Mom" gene. Pure bunk as Wills makes clear. He also lays to rest the myth that we are all descended from a single "Eve" as was reported in the late 1980's. Instead, he explains what the real science was. He explores the mitochrondial genetic materials that is passed down through the female lineage of our species and how we attempt to trace our species back to "Eve". She was most likely more than one person though possibly a small number. "Eve" most likely lived in the Rift Valley of Africa though it is possible that she may have lived in Asia. We explore the fossil evidence and told some unforutately sordid tales of racism by scientists through the years that has clouded our thinking of evolution. Wills walks us through two plausible genetic scenarios of how we are evolved from "Eve" without delving himself into racist science. He also walks us through the myths and realities of genetic mutations, fossil evidence of human ancestors, and even unravels the DNA strands of genetic material making it clear what the Human Genome project is really all about. I found it especially revealing when I attempted to locate Wills' title. Eventually, I did find that he is, indeed, a Ph.D. in his field. Not that it was easy. Wills is not on an ego-trip; he is not overly impressed with his intellectual prowess. I am convinced that this is from whence his down-to-earth writing style emanates. It is always nice to put down a book knowing that not only were you entertained, but also walked away a little better informed than when you opened up the book. Thank you Chrisopher Wills.

Hard Science for the Rest Of Us *****

Okay, this is not my typical light-reading fare. I was browsing the Harvard book store in Cambridge, MA and saw it in the bargain bin and grabbed it. It may be the best buy I ever made.

Wills walks us down the evolutionary path of mankind explaining the paleontology and genetics involved in tracing man's lineage through the years. He has a knack for writing in an entertaining style and explaining the hard science in a way that us lay-people can understand without insulting our intelligence.

Though the book is several years old now, it is possibly more timely than ever as the popular press pushes the pop-science of genetics down our throats with little regard for the accuracy of the science involved. The press would have us believe that there is a "happy gene" and a "sad gene" and even a "good Mom" gene. Pure bunk as Wills makes clear.

He also lays to rest the myth that we are all descended from a single "Eve" as was reported in the late 1980's. Instead, he explains what the real science was. He explores the mitochrondial genetic materials that is passed down through the female lineage of our species and how we attempt to trace our species back to "Eve". She was most likely more than one person though possibly a small number. "Eve" most likely lived in the Rift Valley of Africa though it is possible that she may have lived in Asia.

We explore the fossil evidence and told some unforutately sordid tales of racism by scientists through the years that has clouded our thinking of evolution. Wills walks us through two plausible genetic scenarios of how we are evolved from "Eve" without delving himself into racist science. He also walks us through the myths and realities of genetic mutations, fossil evidence of human ancestors, and even unravels the DNA strands of genetic material making it clear what the Human Genome project is really all about.

I found it especially revealing when I attempted to locate Wills' title. Eventually, I did find that he is, indeed, a Ph.D. in his field. Not that it was easy. Wills is not on an ego-trip; he is not overly impressed with his intellectual prowess. I am convinced that this is from whence his down-to-earth writing style emanates.

It is always nice to put down a book knowing that not only were you entertained, but also walked away a little better informed than when you opened up the book. Thank you Chrisopher Wills.