A Field Guide to Humans: The Natural History of a Singular Species

Would you know a human being if you saw one? This is not as frivolous a question as it might seem. Recent scientific discoveries from many disciplines have painted a new picture of what it means to be human—a picture that may literally cause you to see yourself and others in a new way. Using the format of a natural history field guide, the author, Ron Smith, takes the reader into previously uncharted terrain of our human nature. A naturalist’s perspective reveals surprising aspects of our uniqueness among the millions of other species with whom we share the planet, and explains how, despite our vast numbers, we have become an endangered species. Prepare to “know thyself” in a new and compelling way.

Ronald M. Smith has a BA in the earth sciences and an MA in experimental psychology with an emphasis on human learning. He spent more than thirty years working in the field of education in roles as diverse as classroom teacher, research associate for a federal R&D institution, employee training manager for a large microelectronics firm, and director of curriculum and student assessment for a public school system. His most recent academic interests include evolutionary psychology and behavioral genetics. In preparation for writing this book, Mr. Smith read more than 30,000 pages of source materials and participated in more than thirty university-level science courses ranging from biological anthropology to neuroscience to earth history. He lives in Bend, Oregon. This is his first book.