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Christian Dittus
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English

EVOLUTION GONE WRONG

Alexander Bezzerides

The Curious Reasons Why Our Bodies Work (or Don't)

A fascinating, irreverent guide to human evolution, and what it means for our bodies today, for fans of Bill Bryson and Mary Roach.

Have you ever wondered why humans are so prone to nagging, and often debilitating, aches and pains? The answer lies in our distant past. This
book reveals the untold story of our most common anatomical imperfections, from our lousy vision to our aching feet, and explains how evolution missed
a few details on the path of human development.

No matter how straight orthodontists make our teeth or how fast we run on our injury-prone legs, we cannot escape our past. Ultimately, our anatomy
is a reflection of our history. Exploring the rich and colorful details behind our anatomy, biologist Alexander Bezzerides offers a dramatic new window into the fascinating backstory of the human body.

Alexander Bezzerides is a Professor of Biology at Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho, USA, where he teaches a wide range of biology classes from Human Anatomy and Physiology to Entomology. With a background in anatomy and evolution, Alex approaches the study of the human body
with with a curiosity for the historical roots of our anatomical imperfections.
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Published 2021-05-01 by HarperCollins Canada

Comments

From opposable thumbs to flat feet to the pangs of childbirth, Bezzerides takes us on an unforgettable journey through this twisted miracle of evolution we call ‘our body. - Spike Carlsen, author of A Walk Around the Block

Entertaining... A timely reminder that we, as a species, may be outgrowing our evolutionary history and the biology we are constructed from. - Wall Street Journal

Alex Bezzerides... is fascinated with the imperfect system that is the human body, and he explores and explains it adroitly in his fascinating, funny new book. - Salon

An exhilarating clamber through some of the remoter branches of the human family tree. Alex Bezzerides reminds us that our great-grand-ancestors included fish and quadrupeds as well as the tree-climbing apes that more readily spring to mind. Evolution Gone Wrong is the fascinating tale of our imperfections: how millions of years of evolution created a species more intelligent than any other, but one blighted by faulty eyesight, back pain and an unfortunate propensity for choking on its food. - Thomas Morris, The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth

Alex Bezzerides's subject is one that should be of inherent interest to all humans: why evolution designed our bodies in such a seemingly eccentric manner, causing us to suffer from all manner of aches and pains. He provides the answers with gentle humor and easy-to-understand explanations. Along the way he also shares plenty of curious facts that, if you're like me, you'll feel compelled to share with family and friends. - Alex Boese, author of Elephants on Acid

[...] a fantastic, informative book -- a home run -- I recommend Evolution Gone Wrong highly to anyone wishing to grasp the mix of biological and cultural forces at work on our anatomy today. - NPR