Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up

An exhilarating history of humankind, chronicling thousands of years of trial and error amp;mdash; but mostly error amp;mdash; in the rise of civilization.

Modern humans have come a long way in the 70,000 years they¿ve walked the earth. Art, science, culture, trade amp;mdash; on the evolutionary food chain, we¿re true winners. But it hasn¿t always been smooth sailing, and sometimes amp;mdash; just occasionally amp;mdash; we¿ve managed to truly f*ck things up.

Weaving together history, science, politics, and pop culture, Humans offers a panoramic exploration of humankind in all its glory, or lack thereof. From Lucy, our first ancestor, who fell out of a tree and died, to General Zhou Shou of China, who stored gunpowder in his palace before a lantern festival, to the Austrian army that attacked itself one drunken night, to the most spectacular fails of the present day, Humans reveals how even the most mundane mistakes can shift the course of civilization as we know it.

Lively, wry, and brimming with brilliant insight, this unique compendium offers a fresh take on world history and is one of the most entertaining listens of the year.