Patrick Roberts is Group Leader of the Stable Isotope Laboratory at the Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. He has pioneered the use of stable isotope analysis of human fossils for reconstructing the tropical forest adaptations of our species during its dispersal beyond Africa. Patrick has a broader interest in studying the time-depth of human impacts on tropical forests - now the most threatened terrestrial ecosystems after the polar ice-caps - and how this has varied across space and time. He is committed to current UNESCO initiatives that bring together archaeologists and anthropologists to discuss potential solutions for the conservation of ecological and cultural heritage in tropical forests today.

"The broad scope of this book will appeal to academics, policy activists, and the curious public alike ... Roberts' compelling prose and clever choice of epigrams carry the reader from cover to cover regardless of their background. Tropical forest researchers will find a treasure trove of references in the expansive, and exhaustive, bibliography. In the end, Roberts' synthesis of such a massive dataset is an unqualified success, and this work will make a profound contribution to every discipline focused on humanity's tropical history." -- Sherman Horn, Anthropos

"Overall, the book is well written, generously illustrated and provides an excellent introduction to the long-term human occupation of tropical rainforests." -- Tim Denham, The Australian National University, Antiquity

"This book is clearly designed to influence archaeologists to see beyond the ruins that make great tourist attractions, but also for anthropologists, historians, and natural scientists, especially conservationists. I think it should be required reading for all conservationists, especially for those who still think in terms of wilderness. This will become an important book for all undergraduate and graduate courses with some kind of interest in humans and their impact on the planet." -- Charles R. Clement, Bioscience