Thanks Gary, I’m putting that book on my ‘must read’ list. I’ll have to see if it is in ebook form.
It is…I ordered it for my que!

garythehuman - 21 February 2011 10:26 AM

Before the Dawn – Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors
      Nicholas Wade- 2006 -279pages

Very nice review, Rating B+, I got something out of that one.

Wade’s book is very good, but perhaps a bit outdated by now. From what I remember Wade in his book talks about the “replacement” of archaic humans by H. sapiens which by now we know to be a lot more complicated than that. It’s probably a good idea to get familiar with the “Eve theory” (Out-of-Africa), but I would also recommend to anybody who is interested to learn about human evolution to look up Multiregionalism as the truth probably lies somewhere in between.

Dead Monky - 21 February 2011 12:20 PM

I making my way through my Lovecraft collection again. 

Did you hear the POI interview of S. T. Joshi?

No.  Though I have read some of his non-weird fiction related writing.  I rather like the guy.

George - 21 February 2011 05:19 PM

Wade’s book is very good, but perhaps a bit outdated by now. From what I remember Wade in his book talks about the “replacement” of archaic humans by H. sapiens which by now we know to be a lot more complicated than that. It’s probably a good idea to get familiar with the “Eve theory” (Out-of-Africa), but I would also recommend to anybody who is interested to learn about human evolution to look up Multiregionalism as the truth probably lies somewhere in between.

Yes its almost ancient, 5 years old, this is one of the disadvantages of being cheap and buying through discount houses. 

It is still a good book though, Gary. It’s just that with the new information from the genetics research things will probably start to change very fast.

George - 22 February 2011 12:57 PM

It is still a good book though, Gary. It’s just that with the new information from the genetics research things will probably start to change very fast.

Almost any book you buy with a science bent will be practically outdated as soon as you buy it, that is the way of scientific progress.
When you make no changes, and no progress, it is called a ‘bible’.

I don’t know, Asanta.  Show bibles and the like are updated pretty regularly.

OK, since the Out of Africa discussion persisted and became a self-contained unit, I’ve split it off. It’s now HERE. If you want to discuss that topic do so in that thread, and leave this thread for the subject of ‘what you are reading’.

The Bible… for reading material that’s just an awful choice.  Calling the Bible updated is like taking two pennies from your pocket, calling one of them updated because of their slight differences.  The Bible being worth less than those pennies, of course.  Don’t skeptics considering knowing the story of the fishes and the loaves, the story of the Great Flood, the story of the Ten Commandments to be worthless, or do you consider them to be brain damage as I do?  So many have spent so many centuries with that book, for a long time that was the only book tha common people of Europe had any access to.  In the Middle Ages books were rare illuminated luxurious parchment art manuscripts for the elite.  With the wonderful variety of books available today people still talk about that old book.   Don’t you appreciate the wonderful variety of affordable books that we have today?   

Wouldn’t it be nice to read some other book today?

My Bible is The Zombie Survival Guide.  It imparts all the wisdom one needs to survive the inevitable undead apocalypse.

My god its real, DM you will live forever! 

I love it when people get together to share some laughs about a book.  Remember the gospel story about how Jesus produced all the loaves and fishes and wine for the party?  Now how are you gonna sell the idea of a new god to people without demonstrating that he loves a good party!  Party to the people! 

Damn, I’m so torn, breaking my own advice by talking about a Bible story, but with a good opportunity to have some fun with it… mocking instinct is strong… must resist the mock…

How many Sons of God does it take to screw in a light bulb… Huh! If a bright idea ever came from the Bible I’d faint…

no, no more mocking… must stay away from Bible stories… arrrrhhh the struggle…

If you laid Bibles out around the equator, how many Bibles would it take to spread all around the world?... If you people don’t stop buying and reading the silly thing, we might really find out the answer…

AAAGGGHHHH!

Oh great… here we go… Again. 

The New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) has been released, “It replaces terms such as “booty,” “despoilers” and “holocaust” with “plunder,” “robbers” and “burnt offerings.” And it comes available in two new app versions for the increasingly popular tablet computers.”  [Article]  Wow, big changes.   Hey, how many skeptics will pledge not to buy it? 

I pledge not to buy the NABRE!

Just finished the fifth (and final) book of the Belgariad series by David Eddings. Fun fantasy tale.

I’m thinking of some sci-fi now. (I’m on a fiction kick, what can I say? )

Take care,

Derek