Description

From evolution to empire, how biology has steered the course of civilisation.

What if the key to understanding human history lies not in politics, but in our own bodies? In Being Human, astrobiologist Lewis Dartnell reveals how our evolution, physiology and psychology have directed the course of empires and ideas.

From the microbes that triggered pandemics to the chemistry that shaped our diets and brains, this is the story of civilisation seen through the lens of biology. Dartnell’s trademark clarity and storytelling turn complex science into a thrilling narrative about what makes us who we are – and how biology will shape what comes next.

‘Illuminating’ Tim Marshall

‘Refreshing’ Thomas Halliday

‘A gripping, red-blooded narrative from a master storyteller’ Jo Marchant

Publisher Review

Always an interesting and engaging writer, Dartnell ... finds fascinating nuggets in familiar stories * Guardian * I've always liked Dartnell's books for their factiness * Sunday Times * An illuminating journey through history using our bodies as the vehicle. It's quite a ride! * Tim Marshall, author of Prisoners of Geography * Wide-ranging, comprehensive and refreshing * Thomas Halliday, author of Otherlands * A wild ride through science, history and prehistory, full of unexpected connections and delightful insights * Tim Harford, author of How to Make the World Add Up * A revolutionary account of human progress. This is history as you've never read it before: a gripping, red-blooded narrative from a master storyteller * Jo Marchant, author of The Human Cosmos * A sublime, mind-expanding exploration of who we are and how we got here * Richard Fisher, author of The Long View * Brilliantly entertaining and beautifully written, Being Human forces you to see the world in a totally new way. Interdisciplinary history at its best * Jonathan Kennedy, author of Pathogenesis * A spirited canter through the ways our biology has inescapably affected world history that'll open your eyes and stretch your mind * Henry Gee, author of A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth * Bursting with scientific stories, this is a fascinating exploration of how our flawed biology shapes how we live, love, thrive and die. Being Human will make you think in a new light about yourself and your species * Kat Arney, author of Rebel Cell * A brilliant, super-informative and enjoyable read * Dr Camilla Pang, author of Explaining Humans * Lewis Dartnell has a well-deserved reputation for engaging writing on big themes. Being Human is so engrossing that it's hard to put down * Martin Rees, author of If Science is To Save Us * Dartnell has done it again. Full of surprising, vivid and profound lessons, this book is quite literally wonderful * Ed Conway, author of Material World * [A] revealing survey ... Biology determines more than personal destiny * New Statesman * [A] fascinating lucky dip of a book * Mail on Sunday * A very entertaining read * Sunday Times * [Dartnell is] always an interesting and engaging writer * Guardian * An illuminating journey through history using our bodies as the vehicle. It's quite a ride! * Tim Marshall, author of Prisoners of Geography * Wide-ranging, comprehensive and refreshing * Thomas Halliday, author of Otherlands * A wild ride through science, history and prehistory, full of unexpected connections and delightful insights * Tim Harford, author of How to Make the World Add Up *