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Life As Told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal

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( 5,378 ratings, 639 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Life As Told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal intertwines science with literature, as palaeontologist Juan Luis Arsuaga and writer Juan José Millás engage in a thoughtful exploration of human evolution. The narrative offers a unique perspective on our species' history and the evolutionary traits that differentiate Homo sapiens from their Neanderthal counterparts. Through their engaging dialogue, the authors illuminate complexities of human existence in an approachable and insightful manner.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy exploring the intricate tapestry of human evolution through a blend of science and storytelling. It's a delightful fusion of humour and intellect, combining anthropology and personal reflections to shed light on our shared past. If you're curious about the journey of human nature and enjoy works that bridge the gap between scientific inquiry and captivating narrative, this book could be a perfect fit.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Life As Told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal by Juan Luis Arsuaga and Juan José Millás is a thought-provoking journey into our prehistoric origins.

A New Scientist Book of the Year, this captivating narrative invites readers to explore the world we live in with fresh eyes. Millás, who often feels out of place in modern human society, muses on whether he might be more akin to a Neanderthal than a Homo sapiens. To untangle this feeling, he turns to Arsuaga, a renowned palaeontologist.

Together, over the span of several months, they embark on a series of enlightening expeditions. These journeys take them to both everyday settings and unique archaeological sites. Throughout their travels, Arsuaga endeavours to teach Millás the sapiens perspective on humanity and prehistory, highlighting how evidence of our past can be found anwhere — from the depths of a forest cave to the bustling aisles of a toy shop.

This book seamlessly weaves together scientific insights with the profound art of storytelling, offering a delightful and illuminating perspective on what it means to be human.

Dazzling ... The charming result of this collaboration combines Millas's surreal, ironic humour and beautiful reflections with Arsuaga's expertise, expressed with sharp and surprising observations and an ability to bring prehistory up to date.
- Rebecca Wragg Sykes, New Scientist

A very special book indeed- a passionate, sympathetic portrait of one life scientist's world view.
- Simon Ings, The Telegraph

Written with humour and lightly-worn learning, this book makes the familiar strange and the strange uncannily familiar; a fascinating journey into our shared prehistory via the shops, galleries, restaurants, playgrounds, and parks of a twenty-first century city.
- Helen Gordon, author of Notes from Deep Time: A Journey Through Our Past and Future World

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Life As Told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal blends science and storytelling as it explores the relationship between humans and Neanderthals. Juan Luis Arsuaga and Juan José Millás engage readers with a fascinating dialogue, offering insights into human evolution and what it means to be human. The book is praised for its thought-provoking content, warm humour, and the unique perspective offered by the collaboration between a scientist and a writer.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781922585042

Publisher: Scribe Publications

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 31 May 2022

Country: Australia

Imprint: Scribe Publications

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 21.0mm

Width: 136.0mm

Height: 211.0mm

Weight: 240g

Pages: 224

About the Author

Juan Jose Millas (Author) Juan Jose Millas is a bestselling and multiple-award-winning Spanish novelist and short-story writer, and an award-winning regular contributor to major Spanish newspapers. His narrative works have been translated into more than 20 languages, and include the novels From the Shadows and None Shall Sleep. Juan Luis Arsuaga (Author) Juan Luis Arsuaga is a professor of paleontology at the Complutense University of Madrid and the director of the Human Evolution and Behaviour Institute. He is a member of the American National Academy of Sciences and of the Musee de l'Homme of Paris, a visiting professor at University College London, and a co-director of excavations at the Sierra de Atapuerca World Heritage site. He is a regular contributor to Nature, Science, and the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, is the editor of the Journal of Human Evolution, and is a regular lecturer at the universities of London, Cambridge, Berkeley, New York, Tel Aviv, and Zurich, among others. The recipient of many national and international awards, he is the author of more than a dozen works.

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    A dazzling follow-up to Life As Told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal. 'We would love to discover that each species has a biological clock in its cells, because, if that clock existed and if we were able to find it, perhaps we could stop it and thus become eternal,' Arsuaga tells Millás in this book, in which science is...
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    This engaging book tells the story of human evolution, asking if man is indeed the "chosen species" or merely an evolutionary accident. The Chosen Species is written by world-renowned paleoanthropologists who are co-directors of the excavations at Atapuerca—a World Heritage Site and Europe's oldest known burial site—where a new human species, Homo antecessor, was discovered. It discusses various hypotheses of...
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