Field Guide to the Cradle of Humankind

First published in August 2002, Field Guide to the Cradle of Humankind caused a considerable stir among professionals in the field of palaeoanthropology (a field fraught with professional jealousies, subjective interpretation and egos) and sparked a flurry of newspaper articles, journal articles and general debate. The authors acknowledged that some inaccuracies had crept into their work, but also defended much of what they had written and highlighted their field as highly interpretive and often subjective. In the midst of fierce criticism, the book got people talking and sold out in less than a year Â- indicating the level of public interest in the subject matter.