A great historian can make clear the connections between the first Homo sapiens and today’s version of the species, and a great storyteller can make those connections come alive. David Christian is both, and <i>This Fleeting World: A Short History of Humanity</i> makes the journey - from the earliest foraging era to our own modern era - a fascinating one.

Enter <i>This Fleeting World</i> - and give up the preconception that anything old is boring.

“I first became an avid student of David Christian by watching his course, Big History, on DVD, and so I am very happy to see his enlightening presentation of the world’s history captured in these essays. I hope it will introduce a wider audience to this gifted scientist and teacher.” - Bill Gates