ORIGINS The Search for Our Prehistoric Past

The evolution of ideas and the origin of life are both explored in Rhodes's audiobook, which Derek Perkins narrates in a scholarly tone and British accent. At first, people thought the fossils of mastodons and mammoths meant the ancient animals were still around somewhere. Eventually, that initial explanation gave way to catastrophism, the belief that some dramatic event wiped them all out. Perkins's narration is successful, for the most part, but can bog down during discussions of subjects like the classifications of fish. Even in these chapters, interesting creatures such as the still-existing coelacanths can pop up. The Cornell University publication seems like a science text at times, a fact that Rhodes acknowledges at one point. Still, the coverage of ideas like the cultural impact of Darwinism are valuable. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2016]