A History of the Human Brain: From the Sea Sponge to CRISPR, How Our Brain Evolved

A delightful romp through millions of years of evolution that somehow produced the human brain!
A History of the Human Brain, by Bret Stetka, MD, is precisely what you might expect from an experienced science writer with a passion for understanding human evolution and the human brain. By way of disclosure, Bret has been my medical editor at Medscape.com for more than a decade. One of the reasons for this enduring relationship (the longest I’ve sustained with any editor) is Bret’s attention to detail, generous spirit, and out-of-the-box curiosity.This well-researched book is casual, clear, fun, and informative. Drawing from his reading and interviews with evolutionary biologists, Bret effortlessly covers a few billion years of earth’s history in 250 pages. He considers the effects of fire, language, socialization, and tools on brain development. As a former food blogger, Bret observes that Homo sapiens’ appetite includes everything from oysters (see Prologue) to legumes. He postulates that multiple food choices may have allowed us to survive under harsh environmental conditions while competing hominid species died out. This ability to consume a diverse supply of nutrients may also have fueled our exceptional brain development.This book includes sufficient science to satisfy the inquisitive layman without overwhelming the reader. Those who enjoy Scientific American or NPR programs, where Bret also contributes, will appreciate A History of the Human Brain. I certainly did!

Evolution plus Neurology
I’ve read multiple books on the topics of evolution and neurology but the combination of both within Evolution of the Human Brain brought new insights to each. Well written and engaging despite somewhat dense at times.Some have complained that there is too much speculation and not enough *fact* in this book but that is the nature of both these topics. especially evolution. Until we can time travel and observe and dissect early human and life forms, we are unfortunately left with hypothesis and attempts to use evidence to either support and reject. Despite these challenges, many puzzle pieces are being identified and everyone once in a while a few of them fit together to give us a picture into what life might have been like long ago and how it shapes who and what we are today.

This is how you a write a scientific history!
“A History of the Human Brain” achieves the ambitious goal of its title in surprisingly concise and entertaining ways. In 250 crisp pages, it relates the millions of years of evolutionary kismet, happenstance, and mayhem that went into forging the 3 pounds of meat in our noggins, and all the good, the bad, and the ugly that came about because of it.Stetka never once loses the thread of his amazing narrative, yet also still finds the space for adding beautiful details, like the eccentric evolutionary researchers working from bone-cluttered offices, surprising trans-species connections with our animal kin, and why we go a bit gaga for the color red.Like that favorite teacher you had in school, Stetka’s vast knowledge of the subject somehow still translates as unbridled enthusiasm, as if you’re learning these things together. It’s a quality that can’t help but sweep along the reader, whether they’re scientifically inclined or just enjoy a good story.

I purchased this thinking it would be overview of brain development in different species and how they relate to the evolution of the human brain. It is well written. However, I really learned nothing new. I did read the whole book because Ienjoyed the writing but it basically was aI review of what I already knew. I think it would be a good introduction for people interested in brain development without much background knowledge.

The book is an enjoyable read, the writing style is very conversational, so it’s entertaining and the writer has a sense of humour. The only thing that kept me from giving 5 stars is that it strikes me as a little rambling. Since very little ancient DNA is available, and brains don’t fossilize, the physical evidence is scant. Instead researchers rely on inference and known past physical or cultural attributes to do a bit of speculation about how the brain evolved in response to environmental pressure. Since the author has to pull in details about about these other physical and cultural attributes, the writing style is a bit rambling. But that’s a minor quibble, overall I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the topic.