I thought the book was interesting for both the ancient history it did present of our species, but also for the speculative questions it posed had things turned out differently.
For example:
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Imagine how things might have turned out had the Neanderthals or Denisovans survived alongside Homo sapiens. What kind of cultures, societies and political structures would have emerged in a world where several different human species coexisted? How, for example, would religious faiths have unfolded? Would the book of Genesis have declared that Neanderthals descend from Adam and Eve, would Jesus have died for the sins of the Denisovans, and would the Qur’an have reserved seats in heaven for all righteous humans, whatever their species? Would Neanderthals have been able to serve in the Roman legions, or in the sprawling bureaucracy of imperial China? Would the American Declaration of Independence hold as a self-evident truth that all members of the genus Homo are created equal? Would Karl Marx have urged workers of all species to unite?
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With the history of discord between sapiens of varying pigmentation our species has, can you imagine living harmoniously in a world of multiple homo species? And what does this say about our ability to transcend our animal nature?