Early Man: The Beginning of Mankind

Four anthropologists and curators from Columbia University, UCLA, and New York's American Museum of Natural History, join forces to tell the story of the ascent of humankind, a tale that begins five million years ago, during the Pliocene Epoch, when the first hominids walked the earth. Combining computer animation and graphics, close-ups of fossils, and on-site visits, the quartet of experts take the viewer back in time to explore early human anatomy and physiognomy, the beginnings of communication, and initial social structures. Utilizing an integrated studies approach, the program illustrates how findings in archeology, geology, and paleoanthropology have yielded clues concerning our humble beginnings. Part of the acclaimed Just the Facts series, the three-volume Early Man set boasts two additional volumes for the same price (or available as a series for $59.95): Ancestors of Modern Man, which continues the story in the Mesolithic Age, and Dawn of Civilization, which explores the evolution from a hunter/gatherer to an agricultural society during the Neolithic Age. A fascinating series that would be suitable for both public and academic collections, this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (L. Stevens)