Book blogging: Catching Fire

Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human by Richard W. Wrangham

My review

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another in a long line of interesting evolutionary theories that cannot possibly be tested or proven. Still, the author makes a compelling argument using all sorts of anecdotal evidence.

Conventional wisdom has it that man first began hunting and only later learned to use fire. Wrangham argues that just the opposite is true, and he bases his arguments mainly on logic and comparative analysis of modern man and great apes.

Favorite argument:
Without cooking, primitive man would not have had time to hunt, gather and eat.

Evidence offered:
Chimpanzees spend 70% of their waking hours chewing, simply so that the rough vegetation they eat will be broken down enough so that their bodies will be able to extract sufficient nutrition. Adult humans spend only 5% of their waking time chewing their food.

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