- Hardcover: 544 pages
- Publisher: William Morrow & Co; First Edition edition (April 1996)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0688148638
- ISBN-13: 978-0688148638
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14.7 x 3.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 590 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #642,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
A cross between the novel Jurassic Park and the movie Quest for Fire, Almost Adam is a speculative tale about the survival of the Australopithecus (an early human ancestor living two million years ago) in a remote part of Kenya. The book is often compared to John Darnton's Neanderthal, but it's actually much better. The American Anthropological Association recently gave Almost Adam a surprisingly positive review on the pages of its newsletter--a good endorsement coming from a crowd that might be tough to please. The science is solid and the story is good, if a bit long. With this novel, Petru Popescu offers a pleasant way to learn about the past.
--This text refers to the
Mass Market Paperback
edition.
From Library Journal
Ken Lauder has made one of the greatest scientific discoveries of all time, but he may not live to announce it. On a remote Kenyan savanna and mountainside he has found evidence of existing protohumans, perhaps the long-sought "missing link" in humankind's evolutionary chain. But Kenya is in political turmoil and on the verge of civil war-which for Ken may be the least of his problems. He has been abandoned on the deadly savanna with neither supplies nor weapons and is pursued by murderous thugs who for unknown reasons already have attempted to kill him. Are they simply poachers into whose terrain he has intruded, or have they been sent by the government? Or have they been hired by a world-famous scientist with a reputation for appropriating what others have found first? Befriended by an eight-year-old boy of the protohuman tribe, Ken, if he is to survive, will have to live as one of them. A riveting thriller and an accessible crash course in paleoanthropology, this novel by the author of Amazon Beaming (LJ 8/91) also grapples with the fundamental question of what it means to be human. Highly recommended. [See the review of John Darnton's Neanderthal, p. 83, for another fictional account of the discovery of primitive folk surviving today.-Ed.]-Charles Michaud, Turner Free Library, Randolph, Mass.
--Charles Michaud, Turner Free Library, Randolph, Mass.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--Charles Michaud, Turner Free Library, Randolph, Mass.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Unexpected Find,
By A Customer
This review is from: Almost Adam: A Novel (Hardcover)
I bought this book two years ago at a "dollar store" during an ice storm which left us without electricity for two weeks. There wasn't much to do so I bought this book thinking it probably wouldn't be too great; I mean I spent three bucks on it at the dollar store. But, I hoped it would ward off the boredom. I didn't get to start reading it until a month ago and was I ever surprised. This is a great book! As the last reviewer stated, it's a great way to teach science through fiction. I had never put too much thought into how humans evolved. I have even found myself watching The Discovery Channel to find out more about the protohumans.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mankinds Beginning in Conjecture,
By Maximillian Ben Hanan (Sacramento, California, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Almost Adam (Mass Market Paperback)
Mankind's Beginning in ConjectureThis is a great book because of its entertaining way of teaching about some of the more interesting aspects of paleo-anthropology and anthropology in general. The author, Petru Popescu, did an excellent job of researching his subject having consulted actual anthropologists. He obviously researched African politics and culture, as well, to make his characters believable. I also found it refreshing that many of the African characters were both positive and protagonists. Some of the ideas about the development from primate to Homo Sapien in terms of social, physical, and emotional development were very intriguing. To give an example, I found the idea of early Neanderthals and different versions of humanity living concurrently and interbreeding to be fascinating. To think that we picked up, as modern humans, many successful traits from "evolutionary dead ends" such as the Neanderthals is really captivating. The book itself is the story of one anthropologist, Ken Lauder, a Californian "beach bum" type hiding out from responsibility, in far off Kenya. In the course of his existence in Kenya, he makes a big discovery that could rock the anthropological world: a possible living "missing link." Ken and his friend, a local African with connection, are in the process of exploring their discovery when a civil war breaks out in Kenya and everything turns into chaos. The better part of the text explores what the field of anthropology is like (according to a fiction writer who did some research), what life in Africa is like and particularly the volatile politics of small African nations, and Ken's erstwhile existence after being abandoned in the African wild. While Ken is abandoned in the wild, he is befriended by a protohuman that Ken nicknames "Long Toes." Ken and "Long Toes" form a father/son relationship that forms the core of the book. If no other reason, read this book for its easy way of introducing scientific ideas about the origin of Homo Sapiens and their evolution. This book is a way for people who are scared of science to find out how enjoyable science can be. Enjoy! Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply Great Book,
By A (A Place) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Almost Adam (Audio Cassette)
I loved this book so much and was involved in it from start to finish. I liked the parts where they involved protohumans. It was great how Popescu interpreted real characters, such as Leakey, into his fictious novel. For anyone thinking of reading this book, I give it 5 stars and highly recommend it.
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