our earliest ancestors – San people

I was reading The Wayfinders (2009) by Wade Davis … and was captivated by his story of an African DNA study which concluded the San are likely to be the oldest population of humans on Earth.

The San, also known as bushmen, are directly descended from the original population of early human ancestors who gave rise to all other groups of Africans and, eventually, to the people who left the continent to populate other parts of the world.

Independent

The Gods Must Be Crazy films are based on one branch of the San people.

This Wade Davis book argues that ancient wisdom still matters in the modern world. And that humanity will be lesser if we lose cultures like the San.

For some reason(s) a small group of San migrated north about 350 generations ago. Most people in the world are likely descended from that intrepid group. Some of the San still live much like they did 350 generations ago.

Racists won’t like this, of course.

Fact is, humans are 99.99% the same.

more San photos

Echo Park by Michael Connelly (2006)

In 1993, Harry Bosch and his partner Jerry Edgar caught the Marie Gesto case.

Marie was a young equestrian who went missing. Her car and clothing turned up in an apartment garage but her body was never found. …

… 13 years since the Gesto case went cold …

Echo Park

Bosch can’t let it go. His Unsolved unit is called back into the investigation.

Great plot … but not one of best of Bosch.

Cardinal – season 1

One of the best TV seasons ever. 

And it’s Canadian. Unapologetically  Canadian. There’s no effort to puff it up for the American market.

I highly recommend the 6 episode opening season. Be warned … it’s violent.

Click PLAY or watch a trailer on YouTube.

Cardinal is a Canadian crime drama television series, which premiered January 25, 2017 …

The series is an adaptation of Giles Blunt‘s crime novels about police detectives John Cardinal (Billy Campbell) and Lise Delorme (Karine Vanasse) in the fictional city of Algonquin Bay.  …

The first season is based on the novel Forty Words for Sorrowabout the investigation of the murder of a young girl.

Veteran actor Billy Campbell plays the title role perfectly.

Karine Vanasse from Québec is superb as Cardinal’s young new partner. That subplot is fascinating. Canadian Brendan Fletcher is believable, too, as a young serial killer.

Critics have called it plodding. Too slow paced.

I’d disagree. It’s superb. No filler. The plot is excellent. I’ll definitely be downloading series 2.

not impressed with Virgil Flowers

People like the author John Sandford.

I gave him a go downloading Dark of the Moon (2008).

Currently addicted to Michael Connelley, I’d point out the writing of Sandford is far inferior.

The Virgil Flowers character is uninteresting. He’s more interested in sex than in solving crime. I don’t like Virgil Flowers.

I won’t be downloading any more Sandford.

UPDATE ➙ I later learned to LOVE the Virgil Flowers books.  And will read the entire series.  😀

Jack Reacher short stories

If you’ve read all Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books, know that there are also a number of short stories available.

I just finished Three Jack Reacher Novellas (with bonus Jack Reacher’s Rules)

Deep Down, Second Son, High Heat

Publication Order of Jack Reacher Short Stories

Second Son (2011) Description  Book  eBook
Deep Down (2012) Description  Book  eBook
High Heat (2013) Description  Book  eBook
Not a Drill (2014) Description  Book  eBook
Small Wars (2015) Description  Book  eBook

Publication Order of Jack Reacher Collections

No Middle Name (2017) Description  Book  eBook

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Jack Reacher’s Rules (2012)

when Amazon sucks …

I love Amazon. Their model is the future of retail.

And Amazon almost always works. It’s amazing.

But when I recently bought a hiking guidebook it wouldn’t download to my Kindle Paperwhite. Weird.

Quite quickly Amazon responded. Confirming that they suck. ☹️

HELP … another Connelly book

I’m addicted.

This is one of the good ones. Both Harry Bosch and the Lincoln Lawyer.

One only wants to find the truth, the other reasonable doubt about the truth.

The Crossing (Harry Bosch, #18; Mickey Haller, #6; Harry Bosch Universe, #27) was published 2015.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

14th Harry Bosch novel – 9 Dragons

9 Dragons (2009) is the 14th novel in the Harry Bosch series … by American crime author Michael Connelly.

The novel is partly set in Hong Kong, where Bosch’s daughter Maddie and ex-wife Eleanor Wish live. The main plot involves Maddie being kidnapped by a Chinese Triad …

Still hooked, I immediately went on to The Crossing (2015).

 

I’m hooked on Michael Connelly

Seems I have no interest in reading any other author.

The Black Box (2012) is still good, but the weakest of the series of Michael Connelly’s books I’ve read so far.

I’m carrying on with his Harry Bosch books, however. I’m hooked.

I keep track on where I am in his chronology by tracking the date of his daughter.

I’m hooked on Michael Connelly books

Easily available on audio from libraries, I’ve ended up listening to several Connelly books in series.

Most recent – The Reversal (2010)

In this one his original hero, Harry Bosch, works a case with Lincoln Lawyer Michael “Mickey” Haller, his half-brother.

You get the best of both worlds.

Some fans are saying this author is getting better and better over time. I’ll read his most recent books first.

Lincoln Lawyer McConaughey with Michael Connelly