Surveying the whole of human history over the last ten thousand years, Michael Cook addresses some of the most fascinating questions about our past. Why did we first emerge as a species in Africa? How did the great world religions arise and the worship of many gods give way to just one? Zooming in on some of the details of history, from the arcane burial customs of ancient Mexican kings to the design of snuff boxes, Cook shows that humankind has rarely been slow to take advantage of an opportunity, from the domestication of the horse to the exploration of space.