If a new theory fits the evidence and provides straightforward answers to a wide range of previously puzzling observations then science has to take a big step forward. Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species" fits into this category and very surprisingly Clive Bromhall's "The Eternal Child" also seems to achieve the same rare success. I think that this is a very important book.

He originally intended to write about the evolution of homosexuality. As he says, "Having been raised in the era of the Selfish Gene - in which every feature of an animal's biology is seen as benefiting the genes in some way - homosexuality seemed to fly in the face of logic. How could a behaviour possibly exist that hindered an individuals chance of having babies? And so the hunt began for the origin of this extraordinary behaviour."
"It was however one of those journeys that was to lead to some extraordinary places........"

His book finally provides an obvious (with hindsight) explanation for such varied things as hair on our heads, two legged walking, peaceful coexistence in cities, love, monogamy, physical and societal differences between Asians and Europeans and homosexuality among much else.
I think that he underrates the emergence of language (and overrates sexual selection) in our 100.000 year old ancestors but this doesn't take away from a very enlightening theory of human evolution.

He shows that we have been sidetracked by the obvious logic of trying to fit physical human form to function, when the real adaption is the behavioural one of maintaining childlike dependence and learning throughout "adult" life. Maintenance of the child state incidentally involved retaining inconvenient physical characteristics present in the womb, such an upright stance, hairlessness, a bulbous head, delicate bones etc. but in evolutionary terms it was a price worth paying.

The all important behavioral advantages allowed our ancestors to survive rapid environmental change in large interdependent, flexible and relatively peaceful groups functioning as single units. ( )

Masterful explanation of why human beings are hairless, physically low on defenses, yet high on brains. ( )