Human Errors. A Panorama of Our Glitches, From Pointless Bones to Broken Genes

Biology professor Nathan Lents reveals in an accessible and engaging way the full, astonishing complexity of human life, as well as how little we truly know about ourselves.

We humans often like to view ourselves as the pinnacle of evolution. But if we are indeed its greatest creation, why do we have so many problems with our knees? Why do we get runny noses so often—two hundred times more frequently than dogs? Why do we have so many useless bones in our wrists? Why does the vast majority of our genetic code seem to make no sense at all? Is it really necessary to use the same narrow tube for both swallowing and breathing?

Surely there must be some mistake. According to Nathan Lents, our evolutionary history is actually packed with a series of them—each more amusing and instructive than the last. The human body has many design flaws, but we turn out to be remarkably good at making do despite them.

Human Errors is a cheerful and witty account of our evolutionary saga, which began four billion years ago and continues to this day, as well as an unusual look at the price we pay every day for our success.

A hilarious, fascinating panorama of our flaws as a species. One of those rare books you simply cannot put down.

— Discover Magazine