The Hunting Hypothesis: A Personal Conclusion Concerning the Evolutionary Nature of Man

"The Hunting Hypothesis" is an extremely readable and interesting book concerning the discoveries made in Africa about ancestors of ours who lived primarily by hunting. These ancestors were around for quite a long time and evolved AS HUNTERS. Both physically and neurologically and/or mentally/instictively we are now, largely, what they became as those of the hunters who tended to survive in each generation. I wasn't kidding when I said it is one of the best books I have ever read. Those who have read Ardrey's "African Genesis, Territorial Imperative and Social Contract" will probably already know what a great writer he was.

This book (along with Ardrey's other three in what I think of as a sequence) is one of the most important books I have ever read. It (they) are mostly built around the discoveries made in Africa in the early and mid twentieth century of the remains of those of our ancestors who spent millions of years becoming us. Or, from our point of view, how we came to be the way we are. Unfortunately I only discovered them within the last six or seven years. At various times, when they were published, two or three of them were best sellers... but I guess I was busy with something a lot less important. His writing is the very best I have run into in this field and has made reading, and rereading, them a literary pleasure in addition to explaining a lot about why I do what I do, and why history is the way it is. Read this book. If you do I hope you are as pleased as I have been.