The Neandertal Enigma: Solving the Mystery of Modern Human Origins

During the great space race of the cold war, Sergei Korolev, the visionary architect of the failed Soviet lunar program, included a writer as an essential part of any expedition to the moon, displaying an informed sensibility of the role of artists in interpreting the philosophical impact of science for the masses. In the spirit of Korolev's unrealized, intrepid writer, James Shreeve explores the enigmatic rise and fall of our vanished first cousins, the Neandertals, and their significance in understanding the origins of modern humans. Shreeve's work on the subject is distinctive for its highly engaging pace and style, reading like a sprawling, pan-millennial detective story, but ultimately, it is his own speculation on the nature of Neandertal consciousness - well deserved after so much exhaustive research - that makes this work such an essential read. After an absorbing globe spanning search for clues, Shreeve's odyssey though the ever shifting revelations and counter-revelations of the scientific community culminates in the brave, intuitive synthesis of facts and mysteries that is the calling of a great writer, revealing the philosophical - and spiritual - dimensions of our interest. Shreeve's roots are in fiction, and his novelistic sensibilities are what bring this story alive. The Neandertal Enigma is testament to how essential the poetic perspective is in divining the deeper implications of science for our own self-understanding.

Reading Shreeve's book is like listening to a PBS nature program on TV and not watching it. You hear interviews of famous anthropologists and then scenes of students digging at Neandertal sites or currators showing types of skulls to the author.Shreeve does not "tell us" what to believe; his process is to "reveal" opposing thoughts and somehow let us decide for ourselves. The author lets the story revolve around two subjects that I, the reader, was really interested in: (1) who the heck were the Neandertals and did they die out, or did they mix in with the Cro-Magnon people; and (2) is there anything to the Eve hypothesis, and when did this lady start us.The author generally lets you hear one side of the story, then the other on the Neandertals and on Eve. As he progresses it all begins to seem clearer and clearer, and actually quite interesting. The impression I received, as a reader, was, yes, there were Neandertals and they died out and did not mix in in any permanent way with the Cro-Magnons; and, yes, there is an Eve somewhere out there and she is not that far off in time.The way Shreeve writes certainly keeps the readers interest and attention, even though he deliberately lets one scientist influence the reader one way and then another scientist turn the reader another way. It is like a book of discovery which makes the reader think and not just read.I enjoyed reading this book, and may reread it again later to see if I missed something!

I really enjoyed this book. I am a meteorologist with an interest in evolution in general. The sections on DNA and how to trace our roots was fascinating. The book is written from a story telling perspective as the author attempted to put together a picture of how "we" evolved. The author showed how different scientific disciplines have converged on some key concepts about our evolution. What better way to improve and build upon a theory. Like all science, it pays to be skeptical at times. The author presented the case for our evolution from several perspectives. The center piece was the Neanderthal man, how like us, share a common ancestor in homo erectus, as I understood the book. As a kid I read about human evolution and was surprised how the theories of what species are in our lineage have changed. The fact that different species of "homo" co-existed is fascinating. The fact that our early ancestors co-existed for thousands of years was also interesting. I found it tragic to see how the Neanderthal's attempted to emulate us before flickering out of existence about 28K years ago. The DNA evidence suggesting an out of Africa evolution was probably a key underlying theme to the book.

I enjoyed this book and found it well worth the read. I especially enjoyed learning how the theory of human evolution in itself has evolved. I can recall reading books as a kid on this topic which showed the state of human evolution in the 1960s. Much has changed. The DNA and fossil record point to multiple branches in our "family tree". This has lead to the the author speculating on the existence of multiple human species at various times. The book seems to focus on the homo hablis and homo erectus part of the family tree. The cement is the Neandertal. If I got it correct, Neandertal's evolved out of homo erectus. But later, another species evolved and slowly replaced the Neandertal's. Despite being a well writen story about the current state of human evolution, the story of the Neandertal is both interesting and tragic. It ends with them disappearing about 28K years ago, attempting to emulate our direct ancestors.The DNA sections of this book are interesting and well written. Additionally, the interactions and ego collisions of leading scientists in the field is an interesting side bar. Our knowledge of human evolution hinges on their hard work and skeptical nature.

If you like science, prepare yourself for a treat. If you like a good mystery, the same applies. If you like a well written story, same-o. From the first phrase ("I met my first Neandertal in a cafe in Paris..." - Who could resist a line like that?) through the science and speculation, Shreeve has put together a terrific tome on the Neandertals and what we know about them. The fate of the Neandertal and their collision with modern man is one or the greatest riddles of all time and the author clearly conveys his enthusiasm. His explanations of everything from prehistoric technology to current theories are lucid and concise and draw the reader in to the adventure. Highly recommended.