AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY 11:565–571 (1999)

Book Reviews ample, Yali’s question is immediately re-

phrased. First, “Why did wealth and power
become distributed as they now are, rather
Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human in some other way?” (p. 15), and then “why
Societies. By Jared Diamond. 480 pp. New did human development proceed at such dif-
York: W.W. Norton & Co. 1997. $27.50 ferent rates on different continents?” (p. 16).
(cloth). Finally, Diamond asks, “Why did New Guin-
eans wind up technologically primitive, de-
Reading Guns, Germs and Steel as I trav- spite what I believe to be their superior in-
eled through Mexico this summer gave a telligence?” (p. 22). One part of the answer
new twist to the usual small talk. When a is that although New Guinea has had “po-
taxi driver in Monterrey explained that tential Edisons,” “they directed their inge-
northern Mexico is wealthier than southern nuity toward technological problems appro-
Mexico because people in the south are dis- priate to their situations, . . . rather than
tracted by religious faith and fiestas, I the problem of inventing phonographs” (p.
thought, hmm, proximate causation. When 264).
I repeated his argument to a religiously ob- Simply stated, this book is a description of
servant friend in a northern city, my friend people’s “situations.” It is organized into
responded that it is easier to grow food in four parts. In Part One, “From Eden to Ca-
the south; hence the north developed jamarca,” Diamond establishes why proxi-
(wealth-making) technology. Hmm, I won- mate (first-stage) explanations do not offer
dered, is that the ultimate cause? ultimate answers, and why racist biological
People create stories to explain inequali- explanations are without validity in ex-
ties. Jared Diamond does the same in his plaining the lopsided outcome of the modern
Pulitzer Prize-winning book, but on a global world. Diamond also examines how pat-
scale. Instead of wondering why the north terns of human evolution relate to uneven
differs from the south, Diamond wonders technological development, how cultures
why the Spanish conquered Mexico. Why evolve, and how past collisions between cul-
did the Aztecs not conquer Spain? Religion, tures with disparate resources (proximate
technology, and government are proximate causes) are responsible for contemporary
causes but, Diamond concludes, the pat- economic relationships. Part Two, “The Rise
terns of world history are explained, ulti- and Spread of Food Production,” delivers
mately, by plant and animal domestication the ultimate causes of resource disparity
or, more to the point, “differences in real and is the strongest part of the book. Dia-
estate” (p. 401). mond offers a comprehensive discussion of
As he has frequently demonstrated in the effects of plant and animal domestica-
Discover magazine and Natural History, tion on human societies. Engaging chapters
Diamond is a superb organizer of informa- overflow with details of how, when, and
tion. The sweep of this book leads us from where food production and animal domesti-
anthropology to geography, horticulture, zo- cation originated. His basic argument is
ology, the study of infectious disease, and that “food production evolved as a by-
the history of writing, technology, govern- product of decisions made without aware-
ment, and religion, or “the main sets of ness of their consequences” (p. 106, empha-
proximate agents leading to history’s broad- sis in original). Culture is either determined
est pattern” (p. 267). Throughout this book, by resources or relegated to the role of arbi-
Diamond uses his friendship with people of trary preferences, “such as considering fish
New Guinea to personalize his global under- either delicacies or taboo” (p. 108). Accord-
taking, beginning with a local politician’s ing to Diamond, the bases for social inequal-
question “Why is it that you white people ities lie in climate, environment, the tilt of
developed so much cargo and brought it to the earth’s axes, and the wild plants and
New Guinea, but we black people had little animals available for domestication.
cargo of our own?” (p. 14). Part Three, “From Food to Guns, Germs
Diamond’s question/answer format is and Steel,” brings us back to proximate
both provocative and manipulative. For ex- causes with a review of microbe strategies

© 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

566 BOOK REVIEWS

and human vulnerabilities, followed by an get to the path Diamond wants to follow.
account of the development of writing as a Second, although Diamond discusses points
“modern agent of conquest” (p. 216) made of contention, it becomes obvious that he
possible by stored food surpluses. In a more chooses dates needed to support his ulti-
difficult chapter, Diamond documents 14 ex- mate arguments. For example, he argues
planatory factors for how differences in that humans did not arrive in the New
technology arose (p. 249), including the hy- World until 11,000 BC . Therefore, they
pothesis offered by my friend in northern lacked the time necessary to develop what
Mexico, “that technology thrives in a rigor- was needed to turn the patterns of history
ous climate where survival is impossible around (i.e., guns, germs, and steel). That
without technology” (p. 251). Diamond does said, the book is consistent in argument, in-
his best to show that these proximate ex- teresting, and accessible.
planatory factors fall short. That, instead, For anthropologists and human biologists
broad historical patterns need to be ex- familiar with the basics of cultural evolu-
plained in terms of geography, ecology, and tion (Marshall Sahlins and Elman Service)
population density. He carries out a similar and cultural materialism, the first few
treatment for government and religion, con- chapters are an introductory review. How-
tinuing his central argument that food pro- ever, as the book progresses and Diamond’s
duction makes complex societies possible. arguments become more specific, the book
Part Four, “Around the World in Five Chap- becomes both informative and enjoyable,
ters,” is in many ways a repeat of all that and highly recommended for a bus trip
came before, but specific in reference to five through Mexico.
geographic areas: Australia and New
Guinea, East and Southeast Asia, Polyne- LYNETTE E. LEIDY
sia, the collision between Old World and Department of Anthropology
New World, and Africa. Because of the rep- University of Massachusetts
etition, each chapter in this section could Amherst, Massachusetts
stand alone from the book, and each could
be assigned in a course on a particular cul- Encyclopedia of Human Biology, 2nd edition.
tural area. The book could end at the con- Edited by Renato Dulbecco. 9 Volumes.
clusion of Part Three. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. 1997.
I read this book as a potential supplement $2,100 (cloth).
for my undergraduate course on Human
Variation. However, I did not assign the This encyclopedia purports to provide a
book. Diamond is intent on demonstrating complete overview of the current state of
that biological explanations cannot account knowledge in contemporary human biology.
for either cultural differences or resource in- It is intended to serve as a “solid base on
equalities. He misses opportunities to detail which subsequent information can be
aspects of human variation related to his readily integrated.” The target audience is
topics, such as differential ability to digest broad, including general readers with a
available foods (e.g., lactose), genetic varia- background in science, undergraduates,
tion in relation to infectious diseases graduate students, and practicing research-
(briefly mentioned, p. 201), or variation in ers and scientists. The articles, therefore,
human fertility (briefly discussed as birth strive to be written so that the material con-
spacing, p. 89). This would be an appropri- tained in them is accessible to this general
ate recommended text for undergraduates audience. Only a general knowledge of biol-
in Introduction to Anthropology, Human ogy is assumed of the reader. Therefore, the
Ecology, or Nutritional Anthropology. The amount of detail is limited to what is suffi-
style is conversational, little anthropologi- cient for an overview of topics. Specialized
cal knowledge is assumed, the index is good, terminology is kept to a minimum, and
and the 32 portrait-like photographic plates when relatively arcane terms are used, they
are beautiful. are explained in a glossary at the beginning
Two bothersome points should be men- of the article. A bibliography is provided at
tioned. First, the question/answer format is the end of each article for the more sophis-
a manipulative device to move the argu- ticated reader.
ment in one direction. Sometimes six or Typical of an encyclopedia, topics are or-
more questions are added consecutively to ganized alphabetically. A most useful fea-
 BOOK REVIEWS 567

ture is the inclusion of an index volume (Vol. The general subject of growth and devel-
9). This volume provides a guide to using opment included the topics of developmen-
the encyclopedia, which includes a brief de- tal stages (the embryo, infancy and child-
scription of the general organization of the hood, and adolescence), genetic and hor-
encyclopedia, the specific format of the ar- monal factors, growth disorders, speech and
ticles, and a list of contributors, as well as a language pathology, psychobiology, and
cumulative contents, a subject index, and comparative anatomy (human/macaque).
contents by subject area. The latter is par- Adaptation to altitude, heat, cold, hypo-
ticularly useful for locating information on gravity, and stress were included under the
general topics. The 8 volumes contain over general subject of adaptation. Additional
170 articles, covering human biology from A topics included on this subject are adapta-
to Z, grouped into the following major sub- tional physiology, adaptation and human
jects: behavior, biochemistry, biotechnology, geographic variation, and adaptation in an-
the cardiovascular system, cell biology, den- cient populations.
tal and oral biology, the digestive system, Fifteen topics under the general subject of
endocrinology, evolution, food and nutrition, health and disease were explored: epidemi-
genetics, gerontology, hematology, immu- ology, AIDS, infectious disease, anemia, im-
nology, the integumentary system, methods munity, stress, heart disease, prions, diabe-
and materials used in human biology, mi- tes, antibiotics, osteoporosis, atherosclero-
crobial diseases, muscles, the nervous sys- sis, steroids, interleukins, and parasitism.
tem, oncology, osteology and histology, Examples of other topics encountered dur-
parasitology, pathology, pediatrics, phar- ing the review that would be of particular
macology, physiology, psychiatry, public interest in anthropology are primate ecology
health, the reproductive system, the respi- and ecology in relation to emergent disease.
ratory system, sense organs, sociobiology, Human genome, heritability, population
toxicology, and virology. The list of authors genetics, and behavioral genetics were top-
is quite distinguished, including recognized ics suggested for the general subject of ge-
experts and Nobel Prize recipients. netics. As would be expected, coverage of
Consistent with the encyclopedia’s overall these topics, as well as many others, under
organization, the format of individual ar- this subject is extensive.
ticles is designed to be user-friendly. Each The general subject of evolution is ad-
article begins with an outline of its general equately represented in this encyclopedia.
content, which is followed by a glossary of All of the topics suggested by my colleagues
important terms and a short statement that were covered. These topics included human
defines the nature of the topic under discus- origins, the origins of language, early evi-
sion and summarizes its content. dence for tool use, australopithecines, the
To evaluate the extent to which this work evolution of bipedalism, and the origins of
achieves its stated overall purpose of pro- anatomically modern humans. The extent to
viding a complete overview of the current which the coverage of this material is cur-
state of knowledge of contemporary human rent is evidenced by inclusion of more recent
biology, I constructed a list of topics perti- fossil evidence, such as Ardipithecus rami-
nent to an undergraduate introductory hu- dus, and the competing multiregional conti-
man biology course. In addition, to assess its nuity and “out of Africa” theories for the ori-
more general usefulness for anthropolo- gin of anatomically modern humans.
gists, several departmental colleagues pro- Finally, a number of other miscellaneous
vided additional topics that they, or their topics were suggested, including demogra-
students, would have cause to look up in an phy, race, carrying capacity, biorhythms,
encyclopedia of human biology. The list in- biomechanics, intelligence, the senses, work
cluded topics that can be broadly organized capacity, and ergonomics. Of the topics sug-
under the following seven general subjects. gested, only carrying capacity and fluctuat-
The first general subject explored by the ing asymmetry are not covered, and mate-
reviewer was life cycle, which included the rial on the important and perpetually con-
broad topic of reproduction, as well as the troversial subject of intelligence is minimal.
more specific topics of gametogenesis, preg- Overall, coverage of the subject of human
nancy, childbirth, reproductive endocrinol- biology by this encyclopedia is thorough,
ogy, embryology, gestation, puberty, menar- providing several articles relating to a par-
che, senescence, and menopause. ticular subject. Developmental biology and
568 BOOK REVIEWS

genetics, for example, have 18 and 58 list- I can say Bones in the Basement was
ings, respectively, and include subjects as worth the wait with few reservations. The
broad as puberty and population genetics, dozen contributors (including the editors)
and as specialized as the embryonic devel- have worked through a mountain of mate-
opment of bone, craniofacial genetics, and rial to produce an impressive piece of mul-
histones. From the reviewer’s perspective as tidisciplinary anthropology. The 12 chap-
a physical anthropologist specializing in ters present a scientific and social analysis
skeletal biology, the coverage of bone biol- of the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) ar-
ogy is quite good. The material on the em- chaeological site and its considerable as-
bryonic development of bone, bone remodel- semblage of cultural and material artifacts.
ing, metabolism, and health and disease is The fact that only three of the 12 contribu-
clear, concise, and up to date. The value of tors held doctoral degrees when the book
this encyclopedia to a broad audience is en- went to press in no way detracts from the
hanced by its inclusion of sociocultural and technical competency of the analysis. While
psychological material as well as biological, I may take issue with the details of some of
e.g., rites of passage, sexual behavior, and the conclusions they reach, I highly recom-
dental mutilation. There is even a chapter mend this volume as background reading
that presents examples from nonliterate so- for anyone interested in historical archaeol-
cieties of how cultural (ritual) activity rein- ogy or medical history. These researchers
forces life transitions during the aging pro- did a superb job in the design and execution
cess. of this project, and the National Endow-
In summary, the Encyclopedia of Human ment for the Humanities, source of most of
Biology is comprehensive, well organized, the support for the project, certainly got
and appropriate for a wide audience of read- their money’s worth.
ers interested in human biology. The only The first of three sections covers the dis-
significant drawback is its $2,100 price. Pe- covery of the site, an overview of the contex-
riodic publication of yearbooks, rather than tual history of the building, and an analysis
completely new editions, might help mini- of the trove of artifactual and faunal mate-
mize the cost of upgrading. It would be use- rial recovered. Part 2 focuses on recon-
ful if it were made available on CD. structing 19th century dissection proce-
dures from a comparative experimental per-
SAM D. STOUT spective, an overview of cadaver
Department of Anthropology procurement at MCG, and a discussion of
University of Missouri race and the political context of medicine in
Columbia, Missouri society in 19th century Georgia. This sec-
tion also presents a sociobiographical por-
Bones in the Basement: Postmortem Racism trait of Grandison Harris, the individual at
in Nineteenth-Century Medical Training. Ed- MCG responsible for making certain there
ited by Robert L. Blakely and Judith M. Har- was an ample supply of cadavers for ana-
rington. xxi + 380 pp. Washington, DC: tomical and surgical instruction. The final
Smithsonian Institution Press. 1997. $45.00 section provides a physical and sociocul-
(cloth). tural examination of the human remains.
Trace element analysis is used for dietary
I have been looking forward to this book reconstruction and compared with perspec-
since 1993 and a couple of phone conversa- tives drawn from the comparative osteologi-
tions with the late Bob Blakely in the course cal literature. A general picture of the
of trying frantically to save from incinera- health status of the MCG sample is pre-
tion the contents of Michigan’s 19th century sented in a chapter on paleopathological
medical school cadaver disposal pit. Like analysis. The two final chapters move away
those of the Medical Colleges of Georgia and from physical anthropology to present an
Virginia, Michigan’s had been discovered ethnographic interpretation of data col-
during the course of construction on cam- lected in interviews with modern medical
pus. The grant proposal copies and article students and Augusta residents.
drafts Bob sent me were instrumental in The authors conclude that White, Euro-
convincing a reticent Business Administra- pean-derived society perpetrated and per-
tion Vice President of the scientific value of petuated horrendous injustices on the poor,
the site and the need to save the contents. disempowered, and disenfranchised. They
 BOOK REVIEWS 569

suggest that this was standard social proto- sterling example of project design and ex-
col throughout the developing 19th century ecution, but the authors’ interpretations
United States, and that in many cases these and extrapolations beyond 19th century Au-
practices continue to the present day. This, gusta may be projecting a little beyond the
of course, is not new and would hardly merit template.
mention in the face of the new information On the other hand, they may not. There is
that is presented, but this theme is stressed no comparative osteological work and docu-
continually, predictably, and finally some- mentation. I am familiar with much of the
what repetitively at every possible opportu- literature cited by these authors, and there
nity. The authors leave no doubt in the is little in the way of osteological reports on
reader’s mind that medical education in the 19th century medical ossuaries (or dumps)
19th century US, not just the antebellum from north of the Mason-Dixon Line. A criti-
South, was actually part of a larger social cal distinction in the interpretation of this
scheme specifically engineered to disem- material is to be made regarding treatment
power and bar the underclasses, particu- on a local or regional versus national scale.
larly those of sub-Saharan West African de- This volume provides a great start, but
scent, from achieving the developing Ameri- more sites should be investigated, perhaps
can Dream. Much of the contention for beginning with the Michigan Anatomy De-
sociopolitical separation along color lines is partment, in order to determine if the au-
based on the forensic analysis of the skeletal thors’ generalizations are accurate region-
material, specifically 24 tibiae, used for “ra- ally or nationally. The claims for a nation-
cial” identification. In the editor’s chapter, wide conspiracy to denigrate Blacks,
“Grave Consequences,” the frequency of 19 particularly in death, demand independent
tibiae judged to be from Blacks to 5 tibiae verification.
judged to be from Whites does indeed sug-
gest an approximately 4 to 1 preference for LITERATURE CITED
Blacks over Whites as dissecting-room sub- Huelke DF. 1961. The history of the Department of
jects. In a subsequent chapter, however, an- Anatomy, the University of Michigan. Part I. 1850–
other of the contributors finds those same 1894. Univ Mich Med Bull 27:1–27.
ratios to be 1.5 and 1.1 to 1 (Blacks to
Whites), still a majority but by a consider- RUSSELL NELSON
ably smaller margin. These sorts of small Museum of Anthropology
material discrepancies may lead the reader University of Michigan
to consider that they may be overstating the Ann Arbor, Michigan
case somewhat. In the spring of 1878, the
body of John Scott Harrison (son of Presi- Adaptation to Malaria: The Interaction of Biol-
dent William Henry Harrison) was discov- ogy and Culture. Edited by Lawrence S.
ered hanging in the anatomy lab at the Greene and Maria Enrica Danubio. xiv +
Medical College of Ohio in Cincinnati. The 490 pp. New York: Gordon and Breach.
body of a recently deceased family friend of 1997. $68.00 (cloth).
the Harrison’s, Augustus Devin, was traced
to the anatomical laboratory of the Univer- In areas where Plasmodium falciparum
sity of Michigan at Ann Arbor (Huelke malaria is or has been endemic, it has left
1961). Neither of these men were poor, its mark on the genetic structure of the hu-
Black, or indigent, and the occurrence of man population. The presence and high fre-
events of this nature north of the Mason- quency of sickle cell anemia, thalassemia,
Dixon line scarcely lends support to the and glucose-6-phosphate deficiency (G6PD)
“white supremacist upper classes preying have been attributed to natural selection by
on the poor black underclass” theme that the malaria parasite. It has often been sug-
runs through much of the interpretation gested that malaria must also have selected
presented in the book. The preceding as well for certain other biocultural factors, such as
as other incidents from the early years of dietary patterns, which might augment,
Michigan’s medical school are documented complement, or even hasten the genetic ba-
by Huelke (1961), an article discussed by sis of resistance. This book focuses on the
Bob Blakely and myself over the phone, but, study of selection in humans due to both the
curiously, never cited by any of the authors malaria parasite and human dietary pat-
in the MCG volume. This volume presents a terns, which affect over 400 million people
570 BOOK REVIEWS

worldwide, as a model for genetic selection dence supporting the notion that dietary
in humans due to both the malaria parasite patterns have been developed that potenti-
and human dietary patterns. One of the cen- ate the antimalarial effect of G6PD-
tral points brought out in the book is that deficiency. Chapter 8, by Etkin, and Chap-
the various alleles for G6PD-deficiency have ter 9, by Jackson, focus on specific plants
co-evolved with culturally constructed cui- that promote pro-oxidant status that might
sines that incorporate oxidant-containing potentiate protection against malaria. Et-
plant foods and therapeutic regimens that kin’s summary of plants from indigenous
lower erythrocyte reducing capacity and pharmacopeias that have been shown to
thus maximize the antimalarial protection have antimalarial action is very useful. Et-
offered by alleles for G6PD deficiency. kin contends that the biocultural use of oxi-
This book is structured in three sections dant-containing plants and medicines is the
and 16 chapters discussing various aspects biocultural analog to G6PD-deficiency,
of G6PD-deficiency in human populations achieving the same effect but at a lower cost
and its link to resistance to malaria. The than genetic adaptations. Jackson, in the
entire spectrum of the biology of G6PD- most theoretical chapter of the book, at-
deficiency is presented, spanning from mo- tempts to develop a conceptual model for
lecular biology of the gene to enzyme kinet- human–plant–parasite interactions.
ics, red cell metabolism, and finally to clini- The last section of the book is essentially
cal and cultural manifestations. a series of historical and genetic studies ex-
The first section of the book focuses on the amining factors accounting for distribution
molecular genetics and biochemistry of of G6PD-deficiency alleles in southern Italy
G6PD-deficiency. Particularly outstanding and Sardinia. Particularly noteworthy are
is the first chapter, by Gaetani and Ferraris, Chapter 13, by Tagarelli et al., presenting
dealing with the basic biochemistry of oxi- evidence for a selective advantage in fertil-
dative stress and G6PD-deficiency. This ity provided by G6PD-deficiency, and Chap-
chapter also usefully categorizes the ter 16, by Bottini et al., dealing with inter-
plethora of G6PD alleles and their proper- actions between G6PD-deficiency and other
ties, and the role of catalase in G6PD- hemoglobinopathies, such as thalassemia,
deficiency. The second chapter, by Turrini and allelic forms of acid phosphatase.
et al., presents a detailed biochemical de- Though well conceived and executed,
scription of favism, the hemolytic crisis fol- there are certain aspects of the book that
lowing consumption of fava beans, and may present minor irritations to some read-
thereby introduces a biological basis for di- ers. First, the title is somewhat misleading,
etary interaction with G6PD deficiency. He as it implies that a greater scope of informa-
also presents evidence supporting a novel tion may be discussed regarding biological
hypothesis involving auto-antibodies which and cultural adaptation to malaria, such as
facilitate the antimalarial effects of G6PD- sickle cell trait, thalassemia, or other hemo-
deficiency. Following a provocative chapter globinopathies, as well as other cultural be-
by Meloni and Meloni detailing clinical con- liefs surrounding malaria sickness. Also,
sequences selecting against G6PD defi- the basic underlying mechanism whereby
ciency, Ruwende et al. present an outstand- G6PD-deficiency confers resistance to ma-
ing case-control study detailing the relative laria, by promoting oxidant stress, is men-
protection against uncomplicated and se- tioned in the Introduction of almost every
vere malaria afforded G6PD-deficient indi- chapter, along with basic data on malaria
viduals in Africa. disease burden worldwide. When read in
The second section of the book examines one sitting, this tends to detract from the
the mechanism of antimalarial protection of continuity, although it would be useful to
G6PD-deficient erythrocytes and interac- those reading only selected chapters. A
tions between dietary and medicinal factors small section or chapter dealing with ma-
promoting parasite destruction. Chapter 6, laria immunity and pathology would have
by Har-El and Chevion, and Chapter 10, by been useful. This is particularly so due to
Greene, stand out as excellent discussions of the heavy focus on oxidative stress as the
the roles of other nutrients such as iron, vi- main mechanism underlying resistance to
tamin C, copper, zinc, calcium, and ribofla- malaria via G6PD-deficiency, which might
vin in modulating favism and antimalarial leave many readers unfamiliar with ma-
protection. Greene also presents some evi- laria with an unbalanced view of the role of
 BOOK REVIEWS 571

oxidative stress on the immunopathophysi- isonymy, heritability, gene flow and admix-
ology of malaria. It would also have been ture/heterozygosity estimates, and tracking
useful to have discussed some of the data the evolutionary fate of mutations and ge-
suggesting that the modulation of oxidant- netic diseases. Six contributions are con-
status may not be the only mechanism un- cerned with biodemographic correlates of
derlying the effects of G6PD-deficiency. The genetic phenomena—fertility, mortality,
last section of the book, dealing with the his- mate selection patterns (e.g., inbreeding vs.
tory of malaria and the distribution of exogamy), and migration effects on gene fre-
G6PD-deficiency in southern Italy and quencies. Two of these papers describe ge-
Sardinia, consists of well-written scholarly netic consequences of fertility and natality
works, but may appear less relevant given variations, including seasonality of wed-
the greater focus on African data for G6PD- dings and births as well as the outcomes of
deficiency and diet in most of the other contraceptive usage. The final five papers
chapters. address the epidemiological and health as-
Overall, the volume is very well put to- pects of population dynamics and the demo-
gether and extremely informative. It can be graphic impacts on genetic diseases. Three
highly recommended for anyone interested of the latter articles focus on the interaction
in aspects of human adaptation to malaria of health, disease, and patterns of mortality:
and infectious diseases in general. It also causes of death, mortality rates, age and
contains information of interest to biochem- gender differences, and biological/genetic
ists, molecular biologists, and evolutionary
results of epidemiological transition.
biologists with an interest in malaria or oxi-
Examples of specific studies include the
dative metabolism of the red cell. Its ap-
pearance is particularly timely given recent geographic origin of particular genes among
interest in the role of micronutrients in the the Berbers of Morocco, intermarriage be-
prevention and treatment of malaria. The tween indigenous and immigrant popula-
book sets a positive precedent for future tions in Belgium, inbreeding and consan-
such volumes which might focus on other guinity in high and low altitude regions of
genetic traits conferring resistance to ma- Argentina, mortality trends over a 150-year
laria and their biocultural modifiers. period in Spain (1841–1990), population
history and demographic change in Tierra
del Fuego, and migration and mate selection
ANURAJ H. SHANKAR in rural communities in England. Crow’s In-
PETER WINCH dex for the Opportunity of Natural Selection
Department of International Health
was calculated with ample data in two pa-
Johns Hopkins University School of Public
pers. An outstanding piece by P.D. Raspe
Health
Baltimore, Maryland and G.W. Lasker provides novel estimates
of genetic diversity based on statistical
analyses of surname distributions in rural
Revista Española de Antropologia Biólogica, English villages. A thorough case study is
Vol. 18, Especial Biodemografia. 272 pp. presented on endogamy and consanguinity
Madrid: Sociedad Española de Antropolo- in a rural community in Spain.
gı́a Biológica. 1997. $20.00 (paper). This special issue/monograph contains
some solid and concise research results of
This special issue/monograph consists of interest to population geneticists and bio-
18 papers by an international group of au- logical anthropologists investigating human
thors reporting on biological anthropology variation, especially the interaction of ge-
research conducted in several different netics and demographic forces. Brief trans-
countries in Europe (e.g., Belgium, En- lations are included in Spanish and English
gland, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic) and to allow wider readership. The only real
the Americas (e.g., Argentina, Brazil, Chile, negative is the lack of editorial introduction
Cuba, Peru, Venezuela). The collection is or commentary (condensed on one page).
not organized into sections, although three
basic topics are covered. Seven articles deal ROBERT A. HALBERSTEIN
with population genetic structure, including Department of Anthropology
pedigree analyses, genetic marker distribu- University of Miami
tions within and among populations, Coral Gables, Florida
572 BOOK REVIEWS

HOLDOVER FOR 11#5 (SURF) technique. SURF is a simple and

sensitive technique used to selectively iso-
late specific histologically defined cells fol-
PCR3: PCR In Situ Hybridization. Edited by C.
lowed by PCR, thus allowing a direct corre-
Simon Herrington and John J. O’Leary. 205
lation between genotype and phenotype.
pp. New York: IRL Press at Oxford Univer-
The next two chapters, the longest in the
sity Press. 1998. $105.00 (cloth), $55.00
book, are devoted to describing the basic
(paper).
technique of ISH (Chapter 3) and its combi-
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in situ nation with PCR (Chapter 4). Chapter 4 in-
hybridization (ISH) is a hybrid technique troduces the definitions and terminology for
that combines the components of both PCR the five in situ PCR techniques, as described
and ISH. The conventional use of ISH al- above, and goes on to discuss the indirect
lows cellular detection and localization of PCR ISH technique in detail. The reverse
DNA and RNA by hybridization with transcriptase in situ PCR technique for the
complementary nucleic acids probes and, detection of RNA is the subject of Chapter 5.
thus, helps in understanding the disease Additional modified protocols for in situ RT-
process. PCR, on the other hand, allows the PCR and RT-PCR ISH are provided in
detection of minute nucleic acids sequences, Chapter 8. A modified version of the widely
but it does not permit morphological corre- used technique FISH (fluorescence in situ
lation, as in ISH. The combination of both hybridization), called PRINS, is described in
PCR and ISH has greatly enhanced the Chapter 6. Chapter 7 deals with the appli-
morphological localization of specific nucleic cation of in situ PCR to human tissues. The
acids sequence in cells and tissues. Cur- last chapter focuses on two of the instru-
rently, five different in situ PCR techniques ments used to achieve automation of in situ
are being employed. These include DNA in amplification and the book ends with a list
situ PCR (direct PCR ISH) and PCR in situ of suppliers with their addresses.
hybridization (indirect PCR ISH) for the de- Overall, this book covers all aspects of the
tection of DNA, and in situ reverse tran- technical details regarding PCR in situ hy-
scriptase PCR (in situ RT-PCR) and reverse bridization and it will find wide use in those
transcriptase PCR in situ hybridization laboratories who perform or intend to per-
(RT-PCR ISH) for the detection of RNA in form in situ analyses of nucleic acids. The
cells and tissues. A fifth technique, called editors ought to be complimented for put-
primed in situ synthesis (PRINS), is used in ting together the state of the art techniques
connection with amplifying specific DNA se- in one book, which may serve as a useful
quences in metaphase chromosome spreads source in this technical field for a long time.
or interphase nuclei.
Like all other techniques, the PCR ISH M. ILYAS KAMBOH
techniques have not escaped from encoun- Department of Human Genetics
tering reproducibility and reliability prob- Graduate School of Public
lems in different laboratory set-ups. The Health
purpose of this book is to present well-tested University of Pittsburgh
PCR ISH protocols so that their uniform ap- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
plications across different laboratories may
help to eliminate or reduce reproducibility Biosocial Perspectives on Children. Edited by
problems. Catherine Panter-Brick. ix + 160 pp. New
The book is divided into nine chapters York: Cambridge University Press. 1998.
written by 19 authors. The first eight chap- $54.95 (cloth), $19.95 (paper).
ters are devoted to describing specific proto-
cols for PCR and ISH. In each chapter the This book presents views on children and
authors discuss the merits of their protocols childhood from five authors. Four were
and provide advice on troubleshooting asked to provide reviews from their own
where needed. The ninth chapter describes perspective and within their own specializa-
the automation of in situ amplification by tions, i.e., evolutionary, sociocultural, bio-
different thermocyclers. logical, and psychological anthropology. The
The first chapter provides procedural de- fifth chapter provides a discussion. In the
tails regarding fixation of tissues for PCR. introductory chapter, the editor raises a
The second chapter highlights the state of question posed by Charlotte Hardman in
the art in in situ genetic analysis using se-
lective ultraviolet radiation fractionation
 BOOK REVIEWS 573

1973: “Can there be an anthropology of chil- presentation of some of the most recent and
dren?” This volume, resulting from a Bioso- (to my mind) cutting-edge biological anthro-
cial Society workshop, seems to indicate pological research focused on understand-
that there can, but it must be cross- ing the process of ill health, i.e., research on
disciplinary and child-centered. immune function, household food distribu-
Barry Bogin opens the reviews with a re- tion, physical activity, and psychosocial
working of ideas from his 1988 text and a stress. She spends the most time on physi-
compilation of his more recent writings on cal activity (I would have preferred a more
the evolution of human childhood. He even balance), stressing the need to under-
makes the case for a unique pattern of hu- stand children’s physical activity in the con-
man growth, one that is evolutionarily sig- text of local culture and needs, reiterating
nificant, not simply the result of heteroch- James’ call to pay attention to social and
rony. The insertion of “childhood” stage be- cultural constructions of childhood.
tween the infant and juvenile stages, he The next chapter provides an overview of
argues, is a feeding adaptation which in- child development from the perspective of
creases reproductive success through reduc- child psychology. Robert Levine begins his
tion in birth interval and increased develop- chapter with a historical overview of child
mental plasticity. Bogin has continued to re- psychology as a discipline and anthropolo-
fine this model over the years, going well gy’s important, albeit limited, contributions
beyond simple “more time for learning, tool to it. He then takes up the nature–nurture
using, and cultural acquisition” models. The question, pointing out the “central flaw in
only thing missing is the children. As Bogin current hereditarian positions,” (p. 110),
states, this is an adult-focused model. It ex- i.e., the tendency to extrapolate to human
plains childhood, but it tells us little about universals without cross-cultural support.
children. Reviewing the cross-cultural literature,
Allison James provides a sociocultural which indicates that child development var-
perspective, arguing that childhood is a so- ies based on a particular society’s expecta-
cial and cultural construction. Reviewing tions of what is important, he then links mi-
the social constructionist literature, James crosocial process with macrosocial struc-
points out two key contributions to the un- tures and argues against the creation of
derstanding of childhood and children. The universal policies based on Western re-
first is the recognition that a society’s val- search. With this, he comes back to the na-
ues and goals for children may differ, calling ture–nurture question, with its implications
into question universal patterns of child de- for understanding child development in the
velopment and behavior. The author ex- context of both biology and culture.
tends this argument to question the idea of The final chapter is that of the discussant,
universal children’s rights based on West- Martin Richards. In an attempt to find com-
ern values, and the possible negative impli- mon ground among these very diverse chap-
cations for children living in non-Western ters, he takes up the nature–nurture ques-
countries. A second key contribution of the tion. He argues that the nature–nurture
social constructionist school is the recogni- question is not a real one, nor is the sepa-
tion that children are not passive recipients ration of genes from environment with re-
of adult culture but are social actors. It fol- spect to developmental outcome. Instead, he
lows that if we want to know about children, advocates a systems approach, with a focus
we must talk to them, not just to adults, on process that is not limited to the interac-
making the case for a child-centered ap- tion of genes and environment (nor can it
proach. be), but a multilevel, dialectical process that
The fourth chapter in the book, by includes “the genome, the cell, the in-
Catherine Panter-Brick, is a discussion of dividual, social relationship and culture”
the ways in which biological anthropology (p. 142). In this, he has found common
can provide an understanding of children’s ground—it is a focus on process rather than
lives through research on child health. outcome that links these separate chapters.
What is important here, according to But here process is conceptualized not sim-
Panter-Brick, is that biological anthropolo- ply as linear cause-and-effect relationships,
gists move from a concern with biological but multidimensional dynamics. Children
measures as outcome to viewing outcomes are born into and grow up in these dynamic
in a sociocultural context. There follows a contexts; their experiences are unique and
574 BOOK REVIEWS

diverse. Only a multidisciplinary, child- tional, combinatorial abilities” (p. 564).

centered approach can provide an under- Modules of perception utilize assumptions
standing of these experiences. about the physics of the objective world, as-
This book is well written and well pro- sumptions that can be detected in visual il-
duced. It is suitable for both upper level un- lusions and perceptual biases toward, for
dergraduate courses and graduate courses. example, perceiving the world as one bound
It is of value to the rest of us as well. It by gravity. Turn a photograph upside down
includes a small glossary and the references and you will immediately notice the differ-
following each chapter provide a good bibli- ence. Develop the negative with left and
ography of many of the classics and some of right sides reversed and you won’t. Logi-
the more recent anthropological literature cally, the two manipulations are of the same
on children and child development. Unfor- magnitude, but to the brain, one is mas-
tunately, there is a British bias to many of sively more prominent. The message is that
these bibliographies, which overlook some the mind is as adapted to the environment
of the more recent and excellent ethnogra- in which it evolved as the rest of our bodies.
phies of children’s lives. Nevertheless, this Intelligence lies “in the ability to attain
book is a valuable addition to the class- goals in the face of obstacles by means of
rooms and libraries of those of us who work decisions based on rational (truth-obeying)
with children. rules” (p. 62). Just as modular mental pro-
cesses have been selected to aid intelligent
DEBORAH L. CROOKS behavior when navigating through the vi-
Department of Anthropology sual world, modular mental processes have
University of Kentucky been selected for astute navigation through
Lexington, Kentucky the social world. In chapters on evolution-
ary psychology, Pinker skillfully exploits
How the Mind Works. By Stephen Pinker. xii + the ready appeal of research on human na-
660 pp. New York: W.W. Norton. 1997. ture with universals such as emotions and
$29.95 (cloth), $17.00 (paper). sexual attraction discussed in functional
terms. Typically intriguing is the specula-
From How the Mind Creates Language tion that grief at the loss of a child is an
(the subtitle of The Language Instinct) to emotional doomsday machine, “pointless
How the Mind Works, Steven Pinker does once it goes off, useful only as a deterrent”
not mess around titling books. Do the con- (p. 421). The postulated function is to deter
tents measure up to the ambitious title? negligence in looking after a child; mere
Well, as the author is quick to admit, he contemplation of the pain of losing a child is
does not know exactly how the mind works, enough to keep a parent awake at night,
but he reckons he can give us the fundamen- encouraging care and nurture of important
tals. In this regard, How the Mind Works packages of DNA.
has something of the feel of two books Here Pinker sides with Don Symon’s po-
strung together: one on the structure of the sition on psychological adaptations. Our so-
mind, mind as a collection of information- cial mental modules are those which im-
processing organs; and a second on the goal proved reproductive success of ancestors liv-
of that information processing, mind as a ing in the hunter-gatherer “environment of
means of replicating genes. The big picture evolutionary adaptation” which held for the
is Darwinian, that “the mind is a system of majority of human evolutionary history.
organs of computation, designed by natural This rather begs the question of what con-
selection to solve the kinds of problems our stitutes “the human ancestral environ-
ancestors faced in their foraging way of life, ment.” For example, many of the cognitive
in particular, understanding and outma- modules discussed, e.g., those encouraging
neuvering objects, animals, plants, and the aid of kin, should have been equally ad-
other people” (p. 21). vantageous to our nonhuman primate and
Pinker employs the findings of visual neu- mammalian ancestors and probably evolved
roscience and his own research on language long before the human hunter-gatherer way
development to support his vision of the of life appeared. A related issue concerns
mind as a system of mechanical, informa- the behavioral and psychological flexibility
tion-processing, mental modules which “ . . . of mental modules. Modules should have
owes its power to its syntactic, composi- been selected to produce appropriate behav-
 BOOK REVIEWS 575

ioral response to a range of ecological con- from our own, and how should we regulate
ditions. The optimal male sexual strategy is international disputes when the morality of
to mate as many females as possible, but nations clash? We are left with sets of local
limitations of male–male competition and rules of behavior and problems of enforcing
female choice usually result in a primary those as lawyers use evolved dispositions to
strategy of pair-bonding. In this volume, chip away at moral responsibility. The in-
questions of development and causation of fluence of evolutionary science on morality
behavioral flexibility often lose out to func- remains an unresolved issue and citing the
tion. naturalistic fallacy while retreating to con-
In a book of synthesis and summary with ventional morality is not a stable solution.
a huge nonspecialist readership, much of
the skill and value lies in the presentation
of the science, and with pop references and DUNCAN L. CASTLES
jokes aplenty Pinker’s style is overwhelm- Roehampton Institute London
ingly bright and lucid. (Great credit must be School of Life Sciences
given to any author with the cheek to equate West Hill, London, UK
the appeal of art with that of strawberry
cheesecake.) Equally as important is the Primate Cognition. By Michael Tomasello and
presentation of the implications of the sci- Josep Call. × + 517 pp. New York: Oxford
ence. Persuasively, Pinker launches aggres- University Press. 1997. $65.00 (cloth),
sive attacks on the standard social science $35.00 (paper).
model of the paramountcy of culture and
learning in shaping human behavior. He is
also quick to emphasize the perils of the Fin de siécle primatology is an exuberant,
naturalistic fallacy that “natural” behavior contentious, and ambitious discipline. The
(for this, read evolved behavior), is correct embrace of evolutionary theory, access to so-
behavior. Humans might be predisposed to phisticated technology, and syntheses
xenophobia but that is no justification for across traditional academic boundaries
intolerance. DNA is always selfish, but the have allowed the study of primate behavior
behavior of the bodies and minds it makes and biology to extend beyond descriptive
need not necessarily be so; moral discourse studies and facile adaptive scenarios. Those
works on a parallel, equally important who took classes in primatology as few as 5
plane. This position is not unproblematic, to 10 years ago would not recognize many of
particularly when coupled with later sug- the current issues, a short list of examples
gestions that humans struggle with complex being sexual selection, phylogenetic weight-
moral reasoning in the same way that dogs ing in comparative analyses, gut–brain
struggle with intentionality because there tradeoffs in the evolution of energy and tis-
has not been sufficient selection pressure on sue allocation, and reciprocity and retribu-
either faculty. tion. Primate Cognition is a superb example
As I write, these issues have particular of this new, reinvigorated primatology. The
relevance. A world leader’s future depends cognitive function of nonhuman primates,
on a nation’s judgment of whether his be- what most of us would term “thinking,” is
havior was wrong or, in the eyes of many approached as a subset of primate behavior
apologists, the natural response of a power- and represents “those behavioral adapta-
ful man to sexual opportunity. The crux of tions . . . that show flexible organization in-
the problem is that Pinker’s analysis, that volving individual decision making based on
morality cannot be derived from human na- some form of mental representation” (p. 21).
ture but remains critical to human interac- Tomasello and Call accomplish a meticulous
tion, may be correct, yet leaves a black hole merging of primate behavior, recent in-
for moral authority. Though not explicitly sights from cognitive and developmental
discussed, his view implies that morality is psychology on the multidimensionality of
a set of rules for social interaction within a cognitive abilities, and a good understand-
population, possibly agreed to on the basis ing of primate evolution to critically analyze
of consensus. This may be true in countries what is and is not yet known about cogni-
where the law is established democratically, tion in nonhuman primates. Their purview
but how should we behave in countries is evidence from ecologically and evolution-
whose concept of correct behavior differs arily relevant contexts in the laboratory and
576 BOOK REVIEWS

field, explicitly avoiding general purpose, SUE BOINSKI

one-size-fits-nothing terms such as memory, Department of Anthropology
learning, and intelligence. Division of Comparative Medicine
For more than a decade I have struggled University of Florida
to integrate primate studies by psycholo- Gainesville, Florida
gists into my own field-based experience.
This volume ties together the psychological
Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of
insights I have garnered through my own
Sex. By Alice Domurat Dreger. xiii + 268 pp.
efforts into a much more cohesive perspec-
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
tive. The theory used to study cognitive
1998. $35.00 (cloth).
abilities is critical, and as Tomasello and
Call demonstrate, until recently much psy-
chological theory was uninfluenced by evo- The author of this book is a recent PhD
lution and ecology. Although the range of from the Department of History and Phi-
primate species supplying comparative data losophy of Science at Indiana University. A
is largely restricted to cercopithecine mon- book written by an author with a PhD in the
keys and great apes, nonhuman primates humanities would not ordinarily attract the
appear to have a poor understanding of cau- attention of biological anthropologists. How-
sality, such as that evident in the use of ever, Dreger has written an engaging book
tools in a directed and novel manner. More- on the topic of hermaphrodites and the
over, evidence is still scant that intent un- medical profession that will interest a wide
derlies primate behavior. A more conserva- range of anthropologists. Through case
tive interpretation is that primates make studies, Chapters 1–5 relate the history of
predictions on behavior based on previous biomedical treatment of humans born with
experience acquired through trial-and-error ambiguous genitalia in the late 19th and
learning. early 20th centuries in France and Britain.
Although this book is daunting in terms of The Epilogue brings us up to date on the
how much remains undetermined about pri- current problems in the treatment of inter-
mate cognition, the nearly boundless re- sexuality.
search opportunities are truly exciting. But In Chapter 1, Dreger sets out the perim-
why should human biologists read this eters of her study. She collected about 300
book? In short, because it is no longer ten- commentaries on cases of hermaphroditism
able to politely ignore the fundamental in- in the medical literature in France and Brit-
fluence of cognitive abilities in the evolution ain from 1860 to 1915. Unfortunately only
of the behavior and biology of human and one intersexed individual, Alexina/Abel
nonhuman primates. Cognitive abilities are Barbin, left behind memoirs. According to
now appreciated to be central to under- the author, embryologists had a basic un-
standing variation in the expression of pri- derstanding of the usual development of the
mate social relationships, foraging strate- external genitalia and internal reproductive
gies, and group travel. Tomasello and Call’s organs by 1870. The medical community
volume offers an almost irresistible oppor- also understood that intersexed individuals
tunity to explore this fascinating literature. resulted when the developmental process in
A splendid advanced undergraduate or the fetus was disrupted. The interest of the
graduate seminar in the “Evolutionary Ba- doctors described in this book was not the
sis of Primate Intelligence,” for exam- biological causes of hermaphroditism per se,
ple, would start with Richard Byrne (1995) but rather the sociocultural aspects of
and move on to Harcourt and de Waal people who were not male / not female. In-
(1992). With this preparation, Primate Cog- tersexed individuals blurred the distinction
nition would be easily assimilated and en- of the sexes at a time when women were
joyed. demanding equal rights. Experts do not
agree on the frequency with which inter-
sexed individuals are born. Estimates range
LITERATURE CITED from 1 in 60,000 births to 1 in 12,500. While
Byrne R. 1995. Thinking ape. New York: Oxford Uni- hypospadias is not categorized as a case of
versity Press.
Harcourt A, de Waal F. 1992. Coalitions and alliances in
intersexuality, it is included in the discus-
humans and other animals. New York: Oxford Uni- sion of this book because the penis is con-
versity Press. sidered to be cosmetically problematic. It is
 BOOK REVIEWS 577

estimated that about 1 in 200 males are satisfaction from behaviors other than vagi-
born with hypospadic penises. nal intercourse is not part of the moral
In Chapter 2, “Doubtful Status,” the au- worldview of intersex doctors and there is,
thor reviews some of the better-known cases therefore, a rush to perform unnecessary,
of hermaphroditism in the late 19th and painful, and often unsuccessful cosmetic
early 20th century and the medical men surgery. For example, a boy with too small a
who treated them. The medical profession- penis may be emasculated (and rendered
als usually included some “moral” state- sterile), the penis further reduced in size,
ment in their narratives, described by the and given a “vagina” which is essentially a
author as convictions “ . . . that the anatomy nonfunctional sac. Through case studies,
is the locus of truth; that the doubtful pa- she points out that the nature of the surgery
tient really had a single true male or female is often kept secret from the child, which
sex; that men and women were fundamen- leads to psychological stress in later life.
tally different and that they should (and Dreger argues that ambiguous genitalia
would) be true to their sexed natures; that if threaten the patient’s culture, not his or her
they were not, bad things would happen life. The author sides with those doctors and
[e.g., inappropriate seduction and homo- intersexed individuals who are opposed to
sexual acts]; that the medical man was the cosmetic surgery before the age at which the
appropriate arbiter of truth; and that the patient can give an informed consent.
medical man must do what he could, with I enjoyed reading this book and would rec-
theory and practice, to solve hermaphrodit- ommend it to anyone interested in the in-
ism” (p. 75). Chapters 3, “In Search of the terface between an individual’s perception
Veritable Vulva,” 4 “Hermaphrodites in of gender and the role of medicine in the
Love,” and 5 “The Age of the Gonads,” elabo- cultural definition of maleness and female-
rate on the beliefs of the medical men as ness. The volume is well referenced and pro-
stated in the above quote. vides an excellent starting place for anyone
In the Epilogue, the author is critical of interested in pursuing these topics. Finally,
those intersex doctors who continue to per- those interested in understanding our cul-
form cosmetic surgery on infants and chil- tural attitudes toward intersexuality will
dren with ambiguous genitalia and hypo- want this volume for their library.
spadias. She finds fault with the heterosex-
ual ideology of the intersex doctors that
assumes that in order to be a “normal” boy LINDA D. WOLFE
there has to be a penis of a certain length Department of Anthropology
and a “normal” girl has to have a vagina. East Carolina University
According to the author, deriving sexual Greenville, North Carolina