Neanderthal: Neanderthal Man and the Story of Human Origins

by Paul Jordan

The story of Neanderthal man. Was he our direct ancestor, or was he perhaps a more alien figure, genetically very different? This title brings us into the Neanderthal's world, his technology, his way of life, his origins and his relationship with us.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Anthropology, History, Evolution

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 1999

About the author

I am an autistic celibate published author.

Reviews

[Lora Shouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neanderthal is a refreshing and satisfying look back at the life and times of Homo neanderthalensis. It does not contain a lot of new material but does incorporate some of the more recent discoveries relating to our human ancestors. Refreshingly, it does this without so much of the controversy surrounding many of the fossil discoveries of the last century.

There is a wealth of photographs and drawings of fossils, especially skulls, of many of our pre-human ancestors that gives a good overview of what we know about what was happening in the area of human evolution during the last three to four million years.

The focus, though, is on the Neanderthal types and on the Cro-Magnon types most closely related to modern humans who were their approximate contemporaries. There is extensive discussion of Neanderthal customs (as best as they can be determined) and the tools they used, and how these tools differed from those of other hominids and how they were the same.

There is some discussion of what happened to the Neanderthalers. It seems probable that they were mostly out-competed by the more modern types. Although there does not appear to be much evidence for interbreeding between the two groups, it seems to be possible that a tiny amount of cross-breeding did occur, and that just possibly a little of the Neanderthal legacy has come down to us after all.

[Michael Gurling · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good thought provoking read with an inappropriate title.

I found this book to be more about the evolutipn of 'Homo' and modern man than providing a lot of information about Neanderthals as I had hoped.
Like many such books the authors biases come through loud and clear and he tends to credit modern man with more than he deserves.
A little dated for 2017 but I appreciated it for the insight it prompted in myself.

[Andrew Hurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read but tended to stray into the evolution of other lines of homo. As with most books dealing with such topics, advances in the subject tend to render theories out of date and this should be borne in mind when reading a book that was written some years ago. Nevertheless, I found it a worthwhile read.

[Rob Markley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I might be mixing up with other stuff but I think it explored more genetic trials than just the Neanderthal and being new stuff was hard to remember and take it all in. However that is me and this did a good job in documenting the complexity of pre/proto humans

[Iset · Rating 4 out of 5]

I approached this book from something of a middle-way perspective, neither a complete novice to the subject nor a world authority. I have a pretty good working knowledge of the Neanderthal man due to academic studies, but it hasn’t been my focus and I would not at all call myself a specialist on the subject. I initially chose to pick up this book after a quick browse through in which it seemed clear, authoritative, and, to my scholarly senses, well-constructed and backed up by evidence which is just what the academic in me looks for when selecting my non-fiction reads. Jordan, in his introduction, aims to put Neanderthal man centre stage in this book and dispel preconceptions of Neanderthals as a dull dead-end, but whilst modestly noting that there are many other excellent and more in-depth works out there, which the author has handily provided in a bibliography. Jordan also makes it clear that he bases this work on the most up-to-date research. Whilst I greatly appreciate that kind of use of supporting evidence and up-to-date research, it must be pointed out that this book, published in 1999, is now out of date if one is looking for all the latest up-to-date research on Neanderthals – so, for example, the infamous contentions in recent years of Neanderthal-homo sapiens interbreeding are not discussed in this book, for those of you looking for the juicy stories.

Despite this book now being somewhat out of date, the book’s use of evidence gives it a solid grounding in the subject. I did find the chapter on Neanderthal technology a little dry, but that may be personal preference alone, as I will admit I’ve never quite been able to get my head round the mechanics of stone tool creation. My interest waned somewhat around the three chapters tracking evolution through pre-Neanderthal species and into modern humans, I think partly because I have less interest in those subjects but also because I came to this book to answer my interest in Neanderthal man and this felt like a bit of a detour from what I really wanted to read about. I don’t mean that to sound like a criticism – as Jordan points out, understanding earlier forms can be tremendously important and add to our knowledge about both Neanderthals and homo sapiens – but I’m just seeking to explain why my own interest took a bit of a dip in those chapters. Though the read could be rather dry at times, it was mostly clear and understandable, supported by evidence, and Jordan does offer the alternative ideas whenever interpretations are in dispute. Personally my favourite sections revolved around discussions of Neanderthal society and culture and the debates about their intelligence and potential.

I’m not sure that I would recommend this book to a layman... it can get pretty dry and technical at points, and if you know absolutely nothing about Neanderthals I am imagine these sections might get confusing and/or boring. However it’s not a book for the specialist either, as it mostly provides a detailed overview alongside case studies and supporting evidence, and doesn’t go into the kind of nitty gritty that a specialist would wish for. I think if you’re looking to pick up this book, the ideal readership is someone with a pre-existing interest and a working but not detailed knowledge of the topic.

7 out of 10. Pretty good, if a little out of date. Not in depth but provides a fairly detailed overview and is solidly supported by evidence and case studies. At times quite interesting but can get a bit technical and dry occasionally. Didn’t grab me, but was rather interesting.

[Roaldeuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather than rehashing the reviews of others I will simply make a few observations regarding this well written overview.

1) While ostensibly about Homo neanderthalensis, about half the book is devoted to the succession of pre-Neanderthal primate forms, stretching as far back as Australopithecus.

2) The volume is well illustrated with black and white photographs and drawings interspersed throughout the text. By contrast, the central section of color photos consists of what appear to be vacation snapshots taken at various European Neanderthal "theme parks". Thus we have life-size models of Neanderthals hunting, cooking, and cavorting in various outdoor settings. Amusing but not all that helpful.

3) I bought a used hardcover version of the book, and it is a wonderfully put together example of British publishing - lavish margins, thick paper stock, sewn in signatures, sophisticated type font, etc. It is a joy to handle and read.

4) Originally published in 2001, it misses out on the most recent genome analysis suggesting limited interbreeding between Neanderthals and Cro Magnon.

[Marilyn Fraser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like science books and learn so much from them. I find this book very interesting and the life and times of Neanderthals is very enlightening. Some readers may find a good science book too tedious or the technical terms too difficult. When I find a new word, I look it up on the computer and add it to my list of words to know.
It is amazing what they have been able to discover about the life of Neanderthals.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

NF-Science
227 pages

Neanderthal Man and the story of human origins.