this book "is a wide-ranging introduction to the human species that places modern humans in evolutionary perspective. Over 70 scholars have collaborated on the Encyclopedia, which is divided into 10 main parts (see below). Emphasis is placed throughout on the biological diversity of modern people and the increasing convergence of the fossil and genetic evidence for human evolution that has emerged in recent years. Because of the need to look at humankind in the context of our closest relatives, the Encyclopedia also pays particular attention to the evolution and ecology of other living primates, from lemurs to apes. It deals with the evolution and ecology of human society, as reconstructed from archeological remains, and from studies of tribal peoples and living primates today. It considers the biology of uniquely human abilities such as language and upright walking, and it reviews the biological future of humankind in the face of modern challenges." (From the blurb.) Contents in 10 parts: 1. Patterns of primate evolution; 2. The life of primates; 3. The brain and language; 4. Primate social organisation; 5. Human evolution in a geological context; 6. The primate fossil record; 7. Primate genetics and evolution; 8. Genetic clues of relatedness; 9. Early human behaviour and ecology; 10. Human populations, past and present. Conclusion, reference section (a.o. things 'Who's who of historical figures'). Steve Jones is a leading specialist in evolution and genetics (University College of London) and David Pilbeam is a prominent paleoanthropologist at Harvard University. Fundgrube.