The Singing Neanderthals:

The Origins of Music, Language, Mind, and Body

Steven Mithen – Harvard University Press

Did early humans sing before they could talk? And what if the ability to dance was just as important as the capacity to walk? Steven Mithen turns centuries of anthropological assumptions upside down in this detailed study of mankind’s inherent gift for music and dance. Mithen points out that our ancestors used collective movement to overcome natural adversaries, and that music and rhythm were the earliest forms of communication. His belief that song and dance gave our species an evolutionary advantage is noteworthy as we address today’s challenges. By weaving together themes from archeology, psychology, neuroscience, and musicology, Mithen paints a thorough picture of the human drive to create music and its capacity to move us.