The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being: Evolution and the Making of Us by Alice Roberts is an informative look at the evolutionary development of the modern human body. Roberts offers an engaging and holistic view of the human body and its development. Drawing on her expertise in embryology and anatomy, Roberts uses easily understood language to describe the incredible journey each human takes from fertilization to birth as well as the evolutionary echos present in every aspect of human physiology and behavior. The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being is an informative work that draws upon a wealth of knowledge to describe the science of us.
This book is a very accessible overview of the human body, its uniqueness and what it shares with other animals. This book gives readers an intensely personal look at our shared evolution with other species and shows how the fingerprints of our interrelatedness are present in every piece of our body. Brimming with interesting hypotheses and facts about the human body, this book is sure to excite and engage readers of all levels of expertise and teach everyone a little more about what it took for any of us to exist at all.
If you are interested in the past and curious about the present of the human body, this book is probably an excellent choice for you. No extensive background in biology is necessary to understand Roberts’ concise language, though interest and some exposure to popular science is great to ensure that one can appreciate the body of work represented by this book.
Book Citation:
Roberts, Alice. The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being: Evolution and the Making of Us. Heron Books, 2014.