Book reviewers gave ''Catching Fire'' generally positive reviews. ''[[The New York ''Times]]'' called it "a rare thing: a slim book - the text itself is a mere 207 pages - that contains serious science, yet is related in direct, no-nonsense prose",<ref>Dwight Garner, [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/books/27garn.html?pagewanted=all "Why Are Humans Different From All Other Apes? It's the Cooking, Stupid"], New York ''Times'', May 26, 2009</ref> and the ''Telegraph'' (UK) called it "that rare thing, an exhilarating science book".<ref>Simon Ings, [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/6250132/Catching-Fire-How-Cooking-Made-Us-Human-by-Richard-Wrangham-review.html# "Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human by Richard Wrangham: review"], the ''Telegraph'', October 4, 2009</ref>
