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Kindred

By: Rebecca Wragg Sykes
Narrated by: Rebecca Wragg Sykes
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Summary

Kindred is the definitive guide to the Neanderthals.

Since their discovery more than 160 years ago, Neanderthals have metamorphosed from the losers of the human family tree to A-list hominins.

In Kindred, Rebecca Wragg Sykes uses her experience at the cutting-edge of Palaeolithic research to share our new understanding of Neanderthals, shoving aside clichés of rag-clad brutes in an icy wasteland. She reveals them to be curious, clever connoisseurs of their world, technologically inventive and ecologically adaptable. They ranged across vast tracts of tundra and steppe, but also stalked in dappled forests and waded in the Mediterranean Sea. Above all, they were successful survivors for more than 300,000 years, during times of massive climatic upheaval.

At a time when our species has never faced greater threats, we're obsessed with what makes us special. But, much of what defines us was also in Neanderthals and their DNA is still inside us. Planning, co-operation, altruism, craftsmanship, aesthetic sense, imagination, perhaps even a desire for transcendence beyond mortality.

Kindred does for Neanderthals what Sapiens did for us, revealing a deeper, more nuanced story where humanity itself is our ancient, shared inheritance. It is only by understanding them, that we can truly understand ourselves.

©2020 Rebecca Wragg Sykes (P)2020 Audible, Ltd
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Fantastic book!

Fascinating book! the author has gone much deeper in depth on the subject than other books I've read and really explains what is currently known about Neanderthals...more than I thought we knew! She really brings them to life and breaks down alot of misconceptions that we hold about them. 5 stars!!!

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Brilliant

This book is evocative and mesmerising. The narrator and writer, Rebecca Wragg Sykes, is captivating in her ability to gently mix storytelling with science, to create not just an informative presentation of Neanderthal life, death and culture, but to really bring the pictures of such to life. She does this brilliantly. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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Enlightening

In this detailed and factual litterature Dr. Rebecca Wragg Sykes sheds a new light upon our kindred: the neanderthals. With modern analysis and archeology we can now learn how much (or rather how little) we as homo sapiens sapiens differed from them. As an aspiring historian the discoveries shared in this book have given me a more profound insight into the lives of neanderthals which have always been an interesting subject for me. If you want to know essentially all there is to know (so far) about our late cousins, this is the book for you.

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Highly recommended

Very clear and entertaining explanation. Everything you ever wanted to know about Neanderthals and more. Very well read by the author.

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Beautiful writing

My son is very interested in archaeology and I listened to this book to test whether to buy him the hardback for Christmas. It is beautifully written. I was never bored (which I expected to be) and found the insights and new information fascinating.

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Thought provoking and inspiring

Thoroughly interesting and thought provoking read for the interested lay person- really enjoyed it, thank you 😊

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absolutely brilliant read

I was fascinated from start to finish. I've always felt that the Neanderthal people were underestimated. We can't know how they felt or what they believed in great detail but this well written and highly detailed work is a great start in learning more.

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A wonderful journey thank you Rebecca. X

Every page was both enlightening and entertaining. Such a very interesting subject. I struggled with some of the technical phrases and had to pause and do some research (at 3 am!). I suspected that where certain evidence was finely balanced either way, Rebecca erred towards the Neanderthal positives and I felt that there was an underlying attempt throughout the book to sell us something. The introductions at the beginning of each chapter were so evocative. I often rewound to immerse myself further. Time traveling at its' best. I will certainly read this beauty again.

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The next-best thing to a course in Neanderthal life.

I came away from this book feeling as if I had been sharing in the lives of Neanderthals for a little while. I had not been aware of quite how little I knew about them. The author deserves to be thanked for devoting so much time to presenting the current state of our knowledge in a way that is both full and yet very engaging.

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best book this year

for a scholarly work this was really accessible, waiting for
the 2022 update. Highly recommended if you like Neanderthals

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