Almost Adam

This book is a page turner! It has everything: a love story, a father/son story, friendship, murder, African history, and of course it's also a story on the development of humans. It keeps you wondering what is going to happen and the character development is broad and believable. I can't put it down! Highly recommend!

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

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.

I found this book on a clearance rack $3!I was on vacation and wanted a distraction,so I thought it was a good deal.Little did I know what Mr.Popescu had in store for me.This book is captivating for anyone with a love of mans early history.The sheer amount of research that he put into this novel must be applauded.I look forward to wraping myself up in his next novel.

I have read this book 3 times and each time I have found it exciting and I still couldn't put it down. No incomprehensible scientific jargon here, very easy reading. Thrilling and adventurous, I loved it!