I had the unabridged audiobook version, which was a joy from beginning to end and very well read with a British accent. A lot of care went into pronouncing the Indonesian or Lio terms approximately correctly.
This is a very thorough treatment of a very limited subject, namely, whether a species of
ape like creature from the folk knowledge of the Lio people on the island of Flores (no, it's not…mehrI had the unabridged audiobook version, which was a joy from beginning to end and very well read with a British accent. A lot of care went into pronouncing the Indonesian or Lio terms approximately correctly.
This is a very thorough treatment of a very limited subject, namely, whether a species of ape like creature from the folk knowledge of the Lio people on the island of Flores (no, it's not the famous Ebu Gogo that got some publicity after the discpvery of the Floresiensis fossils) , reportedly very rare, might or might not be a hitherto scientifically undescribed hominin, and if so, whether this species might or might not correspond or be related to the fossil Flores hominin (Homo floresiensis). The author is an ethnologist well versed in local tradition and languages, and the book is a very systematic, matter of fact presentation of the material and a good analytic critical discussion of it that includes cognitive and emotional aspects of memory and the sociological context. The final part on the Homo floresiensis fossils and on scientific practices of declaring species extinct I found quite brilliant. I am somewhat less sanguine than Forth in the interpretation of the material, but this is a very good book for anyone remotely interested in the subject.
I recommend a look at the chapter headings in the Contents section that give a good impression of what to expect. To my surprise, I was never bored, not even during the long iteration of witness accounts. Incidentally, one learns quote a lot about local lore and everyday life.
