83.5 Charing Cross Road: The Well-Dressed Ape

“Who are we, animally speaking?” asks Holmes in this engaging look at Homo sapiens that uses the same cool objectivity scientists employ in viewing other species. In fact, she begins each chapter with the kind of fact sheet used by biologists to classify species, then adds delightful details based on scientific research and observations of her own body and her husband’s. Comparing the human body with other animals, she notes the pros and cons: the scarcity of body fur, the length and straightness of limbs, teeth and claws unsuitable for hunting or defense, merely adequate eyesight, but an amazing brain and social abilities that greatly compensate for physical shortcomings. Deeply informed but whimsical, Holmes examines how—and maybe why—we have evolved the way we have and the myriad differences between the sexes of our species and others. She also examines the impact of culture on our species, from painting ourselves and altering our fur (or hair) to how our diet contributes to greater height from one generation to the next. Holmes brings fresh eyes to her look at our old species.

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