Java Man
Book Review: Java Man : How Two Geologists' Dramatic Discoveries Changed Our Understanding of the Evolutionary Path to Modern Humans by Carl Swisher, Garniss Curtis, and Roger Lewin
(out of 5 stars)
The discovery of the Java Man skeleton was one of the groundbreaking moments in paleontology and anthropology, providing a key piece of predicted but, until that point, largely absent evidence for near-human ancestors. Here, in a book written by Roger Lewin but credited as well to Carl Swisher and Garniss Curtis, the history of the discovery and related events is described. An interesting subject, the book nonetheless fails to thrive and instead is largely muddled and dull.
The first part of the book is by far the most interesting as the authors describe the finding of Java Man and the efforts required over the years to study the specimen. If the rest of the book had maintained the pace, level of detail, and science content, it would have been a recommended resource for popular anthropology and science readers.
However, the book takes a turn for the worse as the authors fall into a long section detailing the office politics which saw their research threatened from forces allied against them within their organization. While somewhat interesting, this digression from the story of Java Man breaks the narrative in a way which damages the reader's enjoyment and wonder.
The last section feels tacked on, as if the authors recognized that the book was not nearly long enough to warrant publication. So, a section on anthropology and human populations in general is presented which harbors very little information about Java Man or of the events which surrounded the fossils. A basic discussion of the subject, this section failed to produce any meaningful addition to the book itself or to the field of popular anthropology.
Java Man left me feeling unfulfilled, as if the story itself never warranted a book length treatment. The last two sections, which make up the majority of the work, are largely unnecessary for the reader and offer little on-topic information that wasn't already detailed in the opening chapters. Not specifically recommended for anyone, though it may be of interest to those who seek popular anthropological histories. Two and one-half stars.
