Life As Told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal

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