Weaving together interviews with scientists, compelling descriptions of fossils and fossil sites, and a survey of the literature, James Shreeve offers a thought-provoking explanation of what caused the disappearance of humanity's closest relatives and the implications for what it means to be human. As the reviewer for the Washington Post writes, The Neandertal Enigma is "an elegantly written, passionate and absorbing examination of a fascinating subject." The author is also the coauthor, with Donald Johanson, of Lucy's Child: The Discovery of a Human Ancestor.