Thumbs, Toes, and Tears: And Other Traits That Make Us Human - Softcover

Walter, Chip

3.88

207 ratings by Goodreads

9780802716255: Thumbs, Toes, and Tears: And Other Traits That Make Us Human

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0802716253 ISBN 13: 9780802716255

Publisher: Walker Books, 2008

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

"A fluid introduction to the development of the human species."―Booklist

Among the countless traits and behaviors that separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom, six stand out―our big toe, opposable thumb, oddly shaped pharynx, and our abilities to laugh, kiss, and cry. Though seemingly unconnected, they are actually closely linked, each marking a fork in the evolutionary road where we went one way and the rest of the animal kingdom went another. Drawing on complexity theory, the latest brain scanning techniques, and new insights from fields as diverse as anthropology and artificial intelligence, science writer Chip Walter explains why our brains grew so large and complex, why we find one another sexually attractive, how tool making laid the mental groundwork for language, why we care about what others think, and how we became the creature that laughs and cries and falls in love. Original, informative, and thought-provoking, Thumbs, Toes, and Tears will increase your sense of wonder and appreciation for how unique Homo sapiens truly is.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Chip Walter is a science writer, documentary filmmaker, and former CNN bureau chief who has written for Scientific American, Discover, the Economist, and many other publications. Walter lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

From Publishers Weekly:

Humans are the only creatures that cry for both grief and happiness, although many animals shed tears that help protect their eyes. As science journalist and former CNN bureau chief Walter tells readers in this fascinating and superbly written book, there are a handful of characteristics (like crying) that distinguish us from the rest of the animal kingdom and can be explained in evolutionary terms as having been advantageous for our distant ancestors. Laughter is one: dogs may bark happily when they get to go for a ride or play with their canine neighbors, but only humans break into chortles and guffaws. Walter (who coauthored I'm Working on That with William Shatner) says that laughter helps us bond with our friends and co-workers. He points out that we give our big toe little thought until we stub it, but its evolution allowed Homo erectus to stand upright millions of years ago and led to other helpful evolutionary features, like the pharynx—which in turn made speech possible. Readers also learn why we tousle our children's hair, why kissing is so much fun and what may lie ahead as we near the end of our current evolutionary reel. (Nov.)
Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.