How to Think Like a Neandertal
At the beginning of the first chapter of How to Think Like a Neandertal , the authors Thomas Wynn and Frederick L. Coolidge (2012) explain their spelling choice of ‘Neandertal’ (instead of ‘Neanderthal’), so I use that spelling in this review. [Both spellings are correct and are pronounced the same.] But aside from the spelling choice, I do not like the title of the book. First, it sounds like the book will be about how to emulate the thinking process of Neandertals (similar to the books, How to Think Like Leonardo DaVinci, Like Sherlock Holmes , Like a Roman Emperor, Like a Computer Scientist, etc . ). And this book is nothing like that. Second, the title doesn’t fit the valid, academic focus of the book. Instead, this book concentrates on building a picture of the mental life of Neandertals, drawing on evidence from archaeology and psychology. The authors are professors at the University of Colorado. Wynn teaches Anthropology and Coolidge is a professor of Psychology. Together