A well received, engaging survey of new theories on the peopling of the Americas, a hotly debated topic. Dillehy's controversial (but convincing) findings at Monte Verde in Chile form the backbone of his argument, which focuses on his work in South America. Dillehy places the first inhabitants in South America at 15,000 years earlier than originally argued. Other still hang on to the theory that the first inhabitants crossed the Bering Strait 12,000 years ago, making their way south to Tierra del Fuego over the ensuing millennia. Dillehy's book is nonetheless a valuable contribution to the controversy over when -- and how -- humans populated the New World.  (SAM43, $22.00)