Harvard primatologist Richard Wrangham presents the theory that a shift from raw to cooked foods during hominid evolution had profound physical and social effects that led to the development of modern humans.  I approached this book with some skepticism, being disinclined to accept single-cause explanations, and I couldn’t read the chapter title “How Cooking Frees Men” without a jaundiced eye.  But Wrangham amasses quite a bit of information in support of his theory, and he provides a balanced view of the tradeoffs involved, especially for women, in the move toward dependence on cooked foods. Whether or not one accepts cooking as the single most crucial innovation in human evolution, this book is worth including among the readings in a human evolution course. Sorayya Carr, UPB partner, anthropologist.

We surely have all had the experience of driving with a passenger, riding with a driver, or being stuck in traffic behind someone with a very different driving philosophy.  And we all have opinions on the traffic calming measures that are popular in Bay Area cities, as well as various CalTrans decisions about highways.  Tom Vanderbilt drove, rode with local drivers, and interviewed psychologists and traffic engineers all over the world.  The resulting book is full of insights, many of them counterintuitive.  It gives the reader a greater appreciation for the complexities of traffic engineering and for other drivers’ differing viewpoints. It might even make us all safer drivers.  As for me, I’d still rather take public transit, where I can just sit and read.  Sorayya Carr, UPB partner.