lunedì, agosto 31, 2015

The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine

The Female BrainThe Female Brain by Louann Brizendine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finally a good book clear and explicit about the obvious differences that the hormones cause in the brain of women, and most are advantages, let this be known. Once the awareness is spread, it is increasingly easy to eliminate a number of minor problems that a woman might find in the various stages of her life. For all the women and the men also.

Finalmente un bel libro chiaro ed esplicito sulle evidenti differenze che gli ormoni provocano nel cervello delle donne, e la maggior parte sono vantaggi, sappiatelo. Una volta che la consapevolezza si sparge, é sempre piú facile eliminare una serie di problemi secondari in cui ci si potrebbe ritrovare nelle varie fasi della propria vita. Per tutte le donne tutti gli uomini, che tanto non possono fare senza.



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sabato, agosto 29, 2015

Seaduction: The Sensuous Side of the Sea by Beverly Factor, Jean-Michel Cousteau (Foreword)




Seaduction: The Sensuous Side of the Sea
by Beverly Factor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Perhaps the ebook is not the best way to enjoy this book, but these images of the underwater world, but this time anemones and corals and not the usual fishes, are very very beautiful and impressive.

Forse l'ebook non é il modo migliore per gustarsi questo libro, peró le immagini del mondo sottomarino, ma stavolta anemoni e coralli e non i soliti pesci, sono veramente molto molto belle.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND SCHIFFER PUBLISHING LTD. FOR THE PREVIEW!

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giovedì, agosto 27, 2015

A Study in Ashes (The Baskerville Affair, #3) by Emma Jane Holloway

A Study in Ashes (The Baskerville Affair, #3)A Study in Ashes by Emma Jane Holloway
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Third and last installment of the series (for now) "The Baskerville Affair", all settles down, all the characters go back in the limelight, good and bad, and some who forsake forever, or maybe. Evelina has her moments of glory, as well as Niccoló and Tobias and all the various actors. As for the other books, although this is one of the best along with the second, I would have liked a hundred pages less but this is still one of the best trilogies steampunk of the year.

Terzo e per ora ultimo capitolo della serie The Baskerville Affair, tutti i nodi tornano al pettine, tutti i personaggi tornano alla ribalta, buoni e cattivi, ed alcuni l'abbandonano per sempre, o forse. Evelina ha i suoi momenti di gloria, come anche Niccoló e Tobias e tutti i vari comprimari. Come anche per gli altri libri, nonostante questo sia tra i migliori assieme al secondo, avrei fatto volentieri a meno di un centinaio di pagine resta comunque una delle migliori trilogie steampunk dell'anno.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING GROUP - DEL REY SPECTRA FOR THE PREVIEW!

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martedì, agosto 25, 2015

The Silver Dream (Interworld, #2) by Michael Reaves, Mallory Reaves, Neil Gaiman

The Silver Dream (Interworld, #2)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I liked more the first book because the story, even among the various multiverses had more sense and a logical thread, now to the all the various dimensions also adds time, with the bad guys who try to dominate, a spy in the school and a possible girlfriend for Joey; only problem is that the book practically does not end, then I just have to hope that the next installment in the series, and hopefully the last, arrives early!

Il primo libro mi era piaciuto di piú, la storia, anche tra i vari salti nei mondi paralleli aveva piú senso e un filo logico, ora a tutte le varie dimensioni si aggiunge anche il tempo, con i cattivi di turno che tentano di dominarlo, una spia nella scuola e una eventuale fidanzata per Joey; solo che il libro praticamente non finisce, quindi non resta che augurarsi che il prossimo volume della serie, e speriamo anche l'ultimo, arrivi presto!

Anything but Broken (Hurricane Creek, #1) by Joelle Knox


  1. Anything but Broken (Hurricane Creek, #1)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have to say, first of all, that I do not usually like New Adult novels, but as it is written by some of my favorite author (Kit Rocha) I gave it a try and it was worthy. I had fun and I read it very very fast because it was compelling and even if at the beginning I didn't like that he was the ex boyfriend of her sister in the end I was ok with that also, and most of all now I'm waiting for Evie and Gibb's story....I'm such a serial reader....

Devo dire che in gerale i libri che vengono etichettati sotto la dicitura "New Adult" non mi piacciono, ma siccome questa ARC me l'hanno spedita due tra le mie autrici preferite (Kit Rocha), ero piú che pronta a fare un'eccezione. Ne é valsa la pena, é un romanzo che si legge velocemente e anche se all'inizio l'idea che lui fosse l'ex fidanzato della sorella non mi piacesse poi un granché alla fine mi sono divertita; chiaramente, da serial reader quale io sono, ora non posso che aspettare con ansia la storia di Evie e Gibb.....

THANKS TO JOELLE KNOX FOR THE PREVIEW!

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domenica, agosto 23, 2015

Montana Bride: A Bitter Creek Novel by Joan Johnston

Montana Bride: A Bitter Creek NovelMontana Bride: A Bitter Creek Novel by Joan Johnston
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Although Hetty and Karl do not like each other from the first time, both go through a path which then leads them to fall in love of course, we are always talking about a love story, but the author was also able to describe secondary characters, such as Grace and Griffin and above all showed the grows of Hetty, as a young girl prone to flirt to wife and mother. Unfortunately, the book has had several boring moments, maybe that could have been avoided if it had been slightly more short.

Anche se Hetty e Karl non si piacciono dal primo momento, entrambi percorrono un percorso che poi li porta ovviamente ad innamorarsi, stiamo sempre parlando di un libro d'amore, ma l'autrice é anche riuscita a raccontare bene i personaggi secondari, come Grace e Griffin e soprattutto ha mostrato il processo di maturazione di Hetty, da ragazzina incline ai flirt a mogli e madre consapevole. Purtroppo il libro ha avuto parecchi cali di tensione, che magari potevano essere evitati se fosse stato leggermente piú breve.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING GROUP FOR THE PREVIEW!

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venerdì, agosto 21, 2015

The Great Life Diet: A Practical Guide to Health, Happiness, and Fulfillment by Denny Waxman, Michio Kushi (Introduction)

The Great Life Diet: A Practical Guide to Health, Happiness, and FulfillmentThe Great Life Diet: A Practical Guide to Health, Happiness, and Fulfillment by Denny Waxman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The macrobiotic cuisine and the philosophy that underlies it: sport, furniture, lifestyle. Few recipes and clear explanations, very interesting.

La cucina macrobiotica e la filosofia che la sottende: movimento, arredamento, stile di vita. Chiare ma poche ricette e spiegazioni chiarissime.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED MEDIA FOR THE PREVIEW!

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mercoledì, agosto 19, 2015

Kiss the Night Goodbye (Nikki & Michael,#4) by Keri Arthur

Kiss the Night Goodbye (Nikki & Michael,#4)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Finally a nice ending for a series that was slowly deteriorating after a good start. Our heroes are of course again separated by a kidnapping, but at least there are a few differences than usual. Judging by the plot the author wanted to create space for a spin-off, but with this in mind I would not mind reviewing Nikki and Michael.

Finalmente una bella conclusione per una serie che si stava lentamente deteriorando dopo un buon inizio. I nostri eroi vengono naturalmente di nuovo separati da un rapimento, ma almeno ci sono delle piccole differenze rispetto al solito. A giudicare dalla trama l'autrice ha voluto creare spazio per uno spin-off, ma con queste premesse non mi dispiacerebbe rivedere Nikki e Michael.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING GROUP - BANTAM DELL FOR THE PREVIEW!

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lunedì, agosto 17, 2015

Worst. Person. Ever. by Douglas Coupland

Worst. Person. Ever.Worst. Person. Ever. by Douglas Coupland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is one of the funniest stories I've read recently or even in a lifetime. Ray is the worst person in the world, but definitely one of the funniest, not to mention his ex-wife, his ex-homeless friend Neal and his biological family. Coupland in one of his best performances.

Questo libro é una tra le storie piú divertenti che io abbia letto recentemente o anche in tutta la vita. Ray é la peggiore persona del mondo, ma sicuramente una delle piú divertenti, senza contare la sua ex moglie, il suo amico senzatetto Neal e la sua famiglia biologica. Coupland in una delle sue migliori prestazioni.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE U.K. CORNERSTONE FOR THE PREVIEW!

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sabato, agosto 15, 2015

Chasing the Shadows (Nikki & Michael, #3) by Keri Arthur

Chasing the Shadows (Nikki & Michael, #3)

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Third book sad and intermediate, Nikki and Michael are sill together like two children squabbling in a relationship in which he shows to be overprotective and absent and she is a passive-ggressiv person that scares me to death. For one of her choice we find ourselves in the same old plot: vampire who kidnaps and murders and the two heroes that always come too late. Let's say that if I had some kind of supernatural problem I would not call Michael, given that his success rate is a little low. I will read the next book only because it is the last.

Terzo libro triste e intermedio, che ci ripresenta Nikki e Michael come due bambini litigiosi in cui lui si presenta iperprotettivo e assente e lei una passivo-ggressiva che mette paura. Proprio per una di queste sue assurde prese di posizione ci ritroveremo nella solita vecchia trama: vampiro che rapisce e uccide e i due eroi che arrivano sempre troppo tardi. Diciamo che se avessi qualche tipo di problema soprannaturale non chiamerei Michael, considerato che la sua percentuale di successo é un po' bassina....Leggeró il prossimo solo perché é l'ultimo.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING GROUP - BANTAM DELL FOR THE PREVIEW!

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giovedì, agosto 13, 2015

Un pirata piccolo piccolo by Amara Lakhous

Un pirata piccolo piccolo

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Fortunatamente ho letto questo libro Di Lakhous per ultimo, altrimenti mi sarei fermata prima e sarebbe stato un peccato perché gli altri suoi testi sono divertenti, scorrevoli e piacevoli, direi tutto il contrario di questo libro "a singhiozzo" dove il personaggio non mi piace dall'inizio e a cui praticamente non accade niente di bello. E´vero che é interessante per avere uno spaccato della vita nella moderna Algeria, ma ho letto saggi piú interessanti e scorrevoli che vertevano sullo stesso argomento. Spero che l'autore ritorni e resti a scrivere quello che riesce meglio.

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martedì, agosto 11, 2015

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Madame Bovary

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Riletto in francese a causa della sparizione della mia copia italiana so benissimo dove. Anche stavolta la signora Emma mi ha lasciato una tristezza di fondo, non che non me lo potessi aspettare, ma credevo che, siccome era una rilettura, mi avrebbe fatto meno effetto. Ora lo scopo é quello di scriverci un paper di almeno 800 parole paragonando Flaubert a Kant, Rousseau e Marx e io sono assolutamente senza idee e non so dove mettere le mani.....

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domenica, agosto 09, 2015

Bewitching: The Kendra Chronicles by Alex Flinn

Bewitching: The Kendra ChroniclesBewitching: The Kendra Chronicles by Alex Flinn
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It's not my fault, but I just can not stand YA books, then this one is a version of Cinderella transposed to the present day, where instead of the stepmother is the half-sister who is bad and the other sister has to take care of herself. What to say... avoidable.

Non é colpa mia, ma io gli YA proprio non li reggo, queso poi é una versione di Cenerentola trasposta ai giorni d'oggi, dove la cattiva é la sorellastra. Che dire... evitabile.


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venerdì, agosto 07, 2015

On Natural Selection by Charles Darwin

On Natural SelectionOn Natural Selection by Charles Darwin


Reread only the 4th chapter for my MOOC:
We have reason to believe, as stated in the first chapter, that a change in the conditions of life, by specially acting on the reproductive system, causes or increases variability; and in the foregoing case the conditions of life are supposed to have undergone a change, and this would manifestly be favourable to natural selection, by giving a better chance of profitable variations occurring; and unless profitable variations do occur, natural selection can do nothing. Not that, as I believe, any extreme amount of variability is necessary; as man can certainly produce great results by adding up in any given direction mere individual differences, so could Nature, but far more easily, from having incomparably longer time at her disposal. Nor do I believe that any great physical change, as of climate, or any unusual degree of isolation to check immigration, is actually necessary to produce new and unoccupied places for natural selection to fill up by modifying and improving some of the varying inhabitants. For as all the inhabitants of each country are struggling together with nicely balanced forces, extremely slight modifications in the structure or habits of one inhabitant would often give it an advantage over others; and still further modifications of the same kind would often still further increase the advantage. No country can be named in which all the native inhabitants are now so perfectly adapted to each other and to the physical conditions under which they live, that none of them could anyhow be improved; for in all countries, the natives have been so far conquered by naturalised productions, that they have allowed foreigners to take firm possession of the land. And as foreigners have thus everywhere beaten some of the natives, we may safely conclude that the natives might have been modified with advantage, so as to have better resisted such intruders....Thus it is, as I believe, that when the males and females of any animal have the same general habits of life, but differ in structure, colour, or ornament, such differences have been mainly caused by sexual selection; that is, individual males have had, in successive generations, some slight advantage over other males, in their weapons, means of defence, or charms; and have transmitted these advantages to their male offspring. Yet, I would not wish to attribute all such sexual differences to this agency: for we see peculiarities arising and becoming attached to the male sex in our domestic animals (as the wattle in male carriers, horn-like protuberances in the cocks of certain fowls, etc.), which we cannot believe to be either useful to the males in battle, or attractive to the females. We see analogous cases under nature, for instance, the tuft of hair on the breast of the turkey-cock, which can hardly be either useful or ornamental to this bird;—indeed, had the tuft appeared under domestication, it would have been called a monstrosity.... A large amount of inheritable and diversified variability is favourable, but I believe mere individual differences suffice for the work. A large number of individuals, by giving a better chance for the appearance within any given period of profitable variations, will compensate for a lesser amount of variability in each individual, and is, I believe, an extremely important element of success. Though nature grants vast periods of time for the work of natural selection, she does not grant an indefinite period; for as all organic beings are striving, it may be said, to seize on each place in the economy of nature, if any one species does not become modified and improved in a corresponding degree with its competitors, it will soon be exterminated....Although I do not doubt that isolation is of considerable importance in the production of new species, on the whole I am inclined to believe that largeness of area is of more importance, more especially in the production of species, which will prove capable of enduring for a long period, and of spreading widely. Throughout a great and open area, not only will there be a better chance of favourable variations arising from the large number of individuals of the same species there supported, but the conditions of life are infinitely complex from the large number of already existing species; and if some of these many species become modified and improved, others will have to be improved in a corresponding degree or they will be exterminated. Each new form, also, as soon as it has been much improved, will be able to spread over the open and continuous area, and will thus come into competition with many others. Hence more new places will be formed, and the competition to fill them will be more severe, on a large than on a small and isolated area. Moreover, great areas, though now continuous, owing to oscillations of level, will often have recently existed in a broken condition, so that the good effects of isolation will generally, to a certain extent, have concurred. Finally, I conclude that, although small isolated areas probably have been in some respects highly favourable for the production of new species, yet that the course of modification will generally have been more rapid on large areas; and what is more important, that the new forms produced on large areas, which already have been victorious over many competitors, will be those that will spread most widely, will give rise to most new varieties and species, and will thus play an important part in the changing history of the organic world....That natural selection will always act with extreme slowness, I fully admit. Its action depends on there being places in the polity of nature, which can be better occupied by some of the inhabitants of the country undergoing modification of some kind. The existence of such places will often depend on physical changes, which are generally very slow, and on the immigration of better adapted forms having been checked. But the action of natural selection will probably still oftener depend on some of the inhabitants becoming slowly modified; the mutual relations of many of the other inhabitants being thus disturbed. Nothing can be effected, unless favourable variations occur, and variation itself is apparently always a very slow process. The process will often be greatly retarded by free intercrossing. Many will exclaim that these several causes are amply sufficient wholly to stop the action of natural selection. I do not believe so. On the other hand, I do believe that natural selection will always act very slowly, often only at long intervals of time, and generally on only a very few of the inhabitants of the same region at the same time. I further believe, that this very slow, intermittent action of natural selection accords perfectly well with what geology tells us of the rate and manner at which the inhabitants of this world have changed....The truth of the principle, that the greatest amount of life can be supported by great diversification of structure, is seen under many natural circumstances. In an extremely small area, especially if freely open to immigration, and where the contest between individual and individual must be severe, we always find great diversity in its inhabitants....As buds give rise by growth to fresh buds, and these, if vigorous, branch out and overtop on all sides many a feebler branch, so by generation I believe it has been with the great Tree of Life, which fills with its dead and broken branches the crust of the earth, and covers the surface with its ever branching and beautiful ramifications."

mercoledì, agosto 05, 2015

Signifying Rappers: Rap and Race in the Urban Present by Mark Costello

Signifying Rappers: Rap and Race in the Urban PresentSignifying Rappers: Rap and Race in the Urban Present by Mark Costello
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I bought this book for the sake of DFW and I neither liked nor was I interested in the argument; it is likely that if I was a lover of the rap genre at the times of the '80s and '90s I would have liked it more, but as far as I'm concerned was just a long list of names, songs and productors.

Ho comprato questo libro per dovere di collezionista e non mi é né piaciuto né interessato, é probabile che se fossi stata un'amante del genere rap a cavallo tra gli anni '80 e '90 lo avrei apprezzato di piú, ma per quanto mi riguarda é stato solo un lungo elenco di nomi, pezzi e case di produzione.

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lunedì, agosto 03, 2015

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

Fortunately, the MilkFortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nice children's book, with dinosaurs, ponies, orcs, human sacrifices, and of course pirates, without forgetting the milk anyway!

Bel libro per bambini, con dinosauri, pony, orchi, sacrifici umani e ovviamente pirati, senza dimenticare il latte comunque!

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sabato, agosto 01, 2015

The Origin of Species/The Descent of Man by Charles Darwin

The Origin of Species/The Descent of Man (Modern Library)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Read only the conclusion of "The descent of man" for my MOOC:
....."It must not be supposed that the divergence of each race from the other races, and of all from a common stock, can be traced back to any one pair of progenitors. On the contrary, at every stage in the process of modification, all the individuals which were in any way better fitted for their conditions of life, though in different degrees, would have survived in greater numbers than the less well-fitted. The process would have been like that followed by man, when he does not intentionally select particular individuals, but breeds from all the superior individuals, and neglects the inferior. He thus slowly but surely modifies his stock, and unconsciously forms a new strain. So with respect to modifications acquired independently of selection, and due to variations arising from the nature of the organism and the action of the surrounding conditions, or from changed habits of life, no single pair will have been modified much more than the other pairs inhabiting the same country, for all will have been continually blended through free intercrossing.
The high standard of our intellectual powers and moral disposition is the greatest difficulty which presents itself, after we have been driven to this conclusion on the origin of man. But every one who admits the principle of evolution, must see that the mental powers of the higher animals, which are the same in kind with those of man, though so different in degree, are capable of advancement. Thus the interval between the mental powers of one of the higher apes and of a fish, or between those of an ant and scale-insect, is immense; yet their development does not offer any special difficulty; for with our domesticated animals, the mental faculties are certainly variable, and the variations are inherited. No one doubts that they are of the utmost importance to animals in a state of nature. Therefore the conditions are favourable for their development through natural selection. The same conclusion may be extended to man; the intellect must have been all-important to him, even at a very remote period, as enabling him to invent and use language, to make weapons, tools, traps, etc., whereby with the aid of his social habits, he long ago became the most dominant of all living creatures.....A great stride in the development of the intellect will have followed, as soon as the half-art and half-instinct of language came into use; for the continued use of language will have reacted on the brain and produced an inherited effect; and this again will have reacted on the improvement of language.....The development of the moral qualities is a more interesting problem. The foundation lies in the social instincts, including under this term the family ties. These instincts are highly complex, and in the case of the lower animals give special tendencies towards certain definite actions; but the more important elements are love, and the distinct emotion of sympathy. Animals endowed with the social instincts take pleasure in one another's company, warn one another of danger, defend and aid one another in many ways. These instincts do not extend to all the individuals of the species, but only to those of the same community. As they are highly beneficial to the species, they have in all probability been acquired through natural selection.

A moral being is one who is capable of reflecting on his past actions and their motives—of approving of some and disapproving of others; and the fact that man is the one being who certainly deserves this designation, is the greatest of all distinctions between him and the lower animals. But in the fourth chapter I have endeavoured to shew that the moral sense follows, firstly, from the enduring and ever-present nature of the social instincts; secondly, from man's appreciation of the approbation and disapprobation of his fellows; and thirdly, from the high activity of his mental faculties, with past impressions extremely vivid; and in these latter respects he differs from the lower animals. Owing to this condition of mind, man cannot avoid looking both backwards and forwards, and comparing past impressions. Hence after some temporary desire or passion has mastered his social instincts, he reflects and compares the now weakened impression of such past impulses with the ever-present social instincts; and he then feels that sense of dissatisfaction which all unsatisfied instincts leave behind them, he therefore resolves to act differently for the future,—and this is conscience. Any instinct, permanently stronger or more enduring than another, gives rise to a feeling which we express by saying that it ought to be obeyed. A pointer dog, if able to reflect on his past conduct, would say to himself, I ought (as indeed we say of him) to have pointed at that hare and not have yielded to the passing temptation of hunting it....
The main conclusion arrived at in this work, namely, that man is descended from some lowly organised form, will, I regret to think, be highly distasteful to many. But there can hardly be a doubt that we are descended from barbarians. The astonishment which I felt on first seeing a party of Fuegians on a wild and broken shore will never be forgotten by me, for the reflection at once rushed into my mind—such were our ancestors. These men were absolutely naked and bedaubed with paint, their long hair was tangled, their mouths frothed with excitement, and their expression was wild, startled, and distrustful. They possessed hardly any arts, and like wild animals lived on what they could catch; they had no government, and were merciless to every one not of their own small tribe. He who has seen a savage in his native land will not feel much shame, if forced to acknowledge that the blood of some more humble creature flows in his veins. For my own part I would as soon be descended from that heroic little monkey, who braved his dreaded enemy in order to save the life of his keeper, or from that old baboon, who descending from the mountains, carried away in triumph his young comrade from a crowd of astonished dogs—as from a savage who delights to torture his enemies, offers up bloody sacrifices, practices infanticide without remorse, treats his wives like slaves, knows no decency, and is haunted by the grossest superstitions....Man may be excused for feeling some pride at having risen, though not through his own exertions, to the very summit of the organic scale; and the fact of his having thus risen, instead of having been aboriginally placed there, may give him hope for a still higher destiny in the distant future. But we are not here concerned with hopes or fears, only with the truth as far as our reason permits us to discover it; and I have given the evidence to the best of my ability. We must, however, acknowledge, as it seems to me, that man with all his noble qualities, with sympathy which feels for the most debased, with benevolence which extends not only to other men but to the humblest living creature, with his god-like intellect which has penetrated into the movements and constitution of the solar system—with all these exalted powers—Man still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin."