Kindred is a synthesis of knowledge and thinking to date on Neanderthals, covering the history of their discovery and study, summaries of archaeological remains, but with a far greater emphasis on how Neanderthals lived. Hence while there is plenty of discussion on archaeological sites featuring Neanderthal material, this is presented as an evidence base for a wider discussion of Neanderthal life, rather than an in depth discussion of any individual site.
The book does not get bogged down in the minutiae of past arguments about the relationship between Neanderthals and humans. While these are summarised, the author prefers instead to concentrate on similarities in behaviour based on current evidence, and asks some interesting (and in places uncomfortable) questions about the impartiality of some interpretations made in the past.
The book is written in an accessible, popular science style, including poems, sections of (non-scientific) prose and illustrations, which make the book easy to read and the information easier to access, but don’t be fooled – this is a serious piece of work reflecting a lot of serious research. It would serve equally well as a textbook as a popular science book and is aimed at a wide audience.
There are a few minor frustrations with the book – the bibliography is presented on a separate webpage, with sources not directly referenced in the text and while there are some figures and plates, it could be more clearly illustrated, especially with respect to the various lithic technologies discussed. However, these are minor points. Otherwise the book is clearly and logically laid out and well indexed.
One thing that stands out about this book is the empathy the author creates between the reader and Neanderthals. Given the sparsity of evidence from the Palaeolithic there is a lot of conjecture in any interpretation and the author makes full use of the freedom of the popular science format to develop that conjecture (as noted above, with one eye on the evidence). Combined with their style of writing, which is engaging and witty, this creates a real sense of the humanity (if that is the right word) of Neanderthals and paints a vivid picture of life in the Palaeolithic.
Overall this is a thoroughly enjoyable book, which should be of interest to anyone with an interest in archaeology or prehistory, both in terms of its content and its style of delivery.