Life As Told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal

By Juan Jose Millas, Juan Luis Arsuaga, Thomas Bunstead (translator) , Daniel Hahn (translator)

Book cover of Life As Told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal

Book description

A New Scientist Book of the Year

Prehistory is all around us. We just need to know where to look.

Juan Jose Millas has always felt like he doesn't quite fit into human society. Sometimes he wonders if he is even a Homo sapiens at all. Perhaps he is a…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Life As Told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This is probably the weirdest book I ever read. Certainly, the weirdest sciencey book.

It’s a dialogue between a palaeontologist and a novelist. The scientist, Arsuaga, sets up little excursions and events for Millás and himself around Madrid, and Millás writes about them. Each excursion illustrates some point about human evolution and behaviour.

As their relationship deepens, so do the tensions, as the scientist and the novelist don’t always see eye to eye. Arsuaga seems to delight in tormenting Millás by dragging him to places where he doesn’t initially get the point: pickup joints, childcare centres, and trains. They both…

Want books like Life As Told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Life As Told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal.

Browse books like Life As Told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal

Book cover of She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity
Book cover of The Voyage of the Beagle
Book cover of Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,172

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in archaeology, ancient civilizations, and neanderthals?

Archaeology 129 books
Neanderthals 19 books