Ancestral Passions: The Leakey Family and the Quest for Humankind's Beginnings (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780684824703)

In this fascinating and authoritative work, acclaimed science writer Virginia Morell brings to vivid life the famous and infamous Leakey family, pioneers in the field of paleoanthropology: Louis Leakey, the patriarch, who persisted through initial scientific failures and scandal-ridden divorce to achieve spectacular success in digs throughout East Africa; Mary, his second wife, who worked alongside Louis as they made their outstanding discoveries at Olduvai Gorge and elsewhere; and Richard, their son, who ascended to the top of the field in his parents' wake, only to be threatened with both near-fatal illness and fierce professional rivalry. Morell transports us into the world of these compelling personalities, demonstrating how a small clan of highly talented and fiercely competitive people came to dominate an entire field of science and to contribute immeasurably to our understanding of the origins of humanity.

Author: Virginia Morell
ISBN-10: 0684824701
ISBN-13: 9780684824703
Publisher: Touchstone Books
Language: English
Published: 08/14/1996
Pages: 640
Format: Paperback
Weight: 2.13lbs
Size: 9.12h x 6.00w x 1.63d

Review Citation(s):
Booklist 12/01/2000 pg. 687