I didn’t finish the book. I tried. I found the first third very interesting about her life and how she ended up doing the work she does. Enjoyed reading about how they dig for fossils and the process involved. Started losing interest when we started diving deep into family trees, species, genus, etc. For those more well-versed in the field, I have no doubt it would be fascinating. For me, it just kind of started making my eyes glaze over. ( )

This is pretty niche, but I loved it. I particularly loved it as someone who read Johanesen's Lucy sometime back in the 80s -- this is a great catch-up of what's been happening in the last 20-30 years in fossil hunting and the question marks over hominin evolution. It's totally fascinating. Often a little too technical for me to follow -- I agree with the advice on a different review -- it's worth it to skim and hear the tremendous discoveries and stories.

Honestly, it's also just so mind boggling to think that what we know of the ancient past is due to people spending their time hunting for fossilized remains in the desert. It's mind-blowing to hear what they discover when they discover these bits and pieces and how that all adds to an understanding of the world millions of years ago. ( )

The weakest of the anthropology memoirs and stories that I have read recently. I would recommend instead Kermit Pattison's "Fossil Men: The Quest for the Oldest Skeleton and the Origins of Humankind". It has more science, more personal anecdotes—more of everything.

> I was technically a marine biologist. Or so I had planned, with my freshly minted joint degree in zoology and marine biology. But behold the world in the late 1960s. Homo sapiens had not, apparently, evolved so far as to allow female marine biologists onto ships. “We cannot employ you because we don’t have the facilities for you,” I had been told time and again by the men running the expeditions. ( )

A combination of biography of archeologist Maeve Leakey and her search for proof of the first humanoid bipeds. It should have been a fascinating read, and it has its moments, but overall I found it too dry and academic in tone, and at times a chore to get through. ( )

What an incredible life the author has lived! it's almost like a real life Indiana Jones. Her adventures, her discoveries, her relationships, she has really packed a lot into one lifetime. This book is a wonderful summation of the discoveries she, and her esteemed family, has made. I am in awe of her knowledge and dedication. There is a wealth of information and science in this book. At times I was getting overwhelmed and had to set the book aside and digest it for a bit. All in all, it is a great book. ( )