In full disclosure, I only read this book because it was the only one available that even remotely interested me from the choices made available for review. It turned out to be very timely, though, because Paleo has intrigued me for some time and this was a great chance to read about it from “The Caveman” himself (a moniker that John Durant picked up from his friends when he first went on the Paleo diet back in 2006).
One important observation right up front: this book is steeped in a faith-based assumption about evolution. I say “faith-based” because no matter how many big words and quotes Durant throws into the book from scientists and experts, his entire worldview was summed up in one quote from geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky at the beginning of the book: “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” That’s quite a statement of faith, and I would make the same statement, only in the reverse. “Everything in biology makes sense in the light of creation.” He would accuse me of simple faith, and I would accuse him of the same.
But as the book progressed, his understanding of the human body and the progression of our culture through the major eras was fantastic, and at every turn I found myself wondering how he could write about all the intricacies of the the body and still believe that he was “nothing more than a bunch of cells and chemicals sloshing around in a big, leaky sack.” (p. 3)
At any rate, whether or not Durant and I would ever agree about origins, his writing style was engaging and his stories were inspiring. At various times during the book I found myself on Google trying to find a Polar Bear club near me and also wanting to book an excursion into a remote location to see if I’d survive. I whipped out a pair of minimalist running shoes and took a 2 mile jaunt after reading one of the chapters, and I often read snippets to the B99. All in all, I’d give this book 5 stars, mainly because it is so well balanced between the theory behind the fad that we know as Paleo and the practical “how-to’s” that so many of us need if we’re going to consider making this change in our lifestyle.
And that is why this book – and this author – is so much more than just about being a caveman or eating like a caveman. It is more about a call to adopt a new way of living than it is a call to adapt to a new way of eating.
I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.
