Rating: 
Summary: Lavish Photography and Illistrations
Review: The Last Neanderthal is a lavishly photographed and illustrated book. Ian Tattersall covers the Neanderthal finds with great detail, and a lot of the book is devoted to the history of discovering and analyzing the Neanderthal finds. Mr. Tattersall is a pure evolutionist - as one would expect - but he is very careful to identify his opinions verses the actual findings at Neanderthal sites. This is a refreshing change from the usual "scientific" approach by other authors on such subjects who present their opinions as fact. This careful technique adds a great deal to the book and speaks well of Mr. Tattersall's mind set. A lot of authors cannot distinguish their opinions from fact.The book is very interesting, well written and a lot of fun to study. There are some unanswered questions, because the cannot be answered, that should have at least been mentioned. For example, what role did disease play in the eradication of the Neanderthals? Perhaps the "invading" humans brought diseases that managed to end the species without any overt aggressive acts. In any event many such questions go unaddressed, but that is a minor complaint in an overall impressive effort
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Illustrations!
Review: The Last Neanderthal is a wonderfully illustrated book perfect for anyone interested in human evolution. While providing an excellent overview of human evolution and the history of the discovery and study of Neanderthals, this book's true merit lies in its photographs of all the major finds of both Neanderthals and other human ancestors. Great as a reference for someone wishing to begin a more in-depth study of Neanderthals for class or just for fun.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Illustrations!
Review: The Last Neanderthal is a wonderfully illustrated book perfect for anyone interested in human evolution. While providing an excellent overview of human evolution and the history of the discovery and study of Neanderthals, this book's true merit lies in its photographs of all the major finds of both Neanderthals and other human ancestors. Great as a reference for someone wishing to begin a more in-depth study of Neanderthals for class or just for fun.
Rating:
Summary: great intro to current thoughts on neanderthals
Review: This book was my entry into current theory on neanderthal man and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Very well written, it covered most if not all of my basic questions. The author's biases are clear yet he is seemingly forthwright about opposing views. The language he uses betrays the complexities of conjecture and theory behind many finds, rather than simply laying things out as 'fact'. Many excellent photographs, paintings, etc...
Rating:
Summary: great intro to current thoughts on neanderthals
Review: This book was my entry into current theory on neanderthal man and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Very well written, it covered most if not all of my basic questions. The author's biases are clear yet he is seemingly forthwright about opposing views. The language he uses betrays the complexities of conjecture and theory behind many finds, rather than simply laying things out as 'fact'. Many excellent photographs, paintings, etc...
Rating:
Summary: An excelent and profound book. Read it!
Review: This profusely illustrated and well written book deals with the Neanderthals and the world they lived in, as well as their lifestyles and "technology". Starting in Chapter 1, the author gradually introduces the reader in the Neanderthal world, also explaining other interesting areas related to their study, such as how evolution works, how was the world during Neanderthal periods, and techniques used in dating the antiquity of fossils. The book contains a lot of photographs on Neanderthal skulls and skeletons, as well as some of the tools they used. Requiring almost no background in anthropology or paleoanthropology, this book contains a lot of information and it is very thought provoking, and I think is a must for anyone interested in learning about our closest relatives.
| 
