The Story of Man

Man has come a long way in 150,000 years. From the Stone Age to the space age -- why did Homo sapiens flourish where other species failed? In this sweeping examination of the developments that have truly shaped the history of the human race, Cyril Aydon asks how we got here and, crucially, where we are going. The birth of the great religions, the rise and fall of empires, inventions from the wheel to the Internet, revolutions in thought, government and technology -- The Story of Man is a journey through the extraordinary history of our species. Informed by the most recent historical and archaeological research, the focus is not on the minutiae of conventional history -- kings and queens, battles and treaties -- but instead on the ideas and innovations that have changed the way we live and contributed to the world we inhabit today. Aydon takes the reader to all corners of the world, exploring our shared ancestry and common experiences. He celebrates the richly diverse cultures ceated by our remarkably resilient ancestors, investigating how they did, or didn't, survive war, famine and plague to evolve into the societies we recognize today. And, as we finally begin to face up to the damage we have inflicted on our planet, Aydon brings the story right up to the present day and the pressing issues which face us all. Is the crisis of climate change one challenge too far for Homo sapiens? - Jacket flap.