‘A great world historian surveys the whole of human history, offering new insights and perspectives into ‘the human system'. This is world history on a canvas broad enough to help us think seriously about how we got to dominate planet earth … and where it is all going.' David Christian, author of Origin Story: A Big History of Everything ‘Our age sorely needs clear accounts of the human past. Manning provides a thoughtful one in ten brief chapters with a provocative premise - what he calls the human system - blending biological and cultural evolution into a coherent historical vision. All interested in world history will want to read it.' J. R. McNeill, author of Something New Under the Sun ‘People talk and they walk, and that has made all the difference. This brief book by a master historian integrates research from many disciplines to trace the evolution of human society from the Pleistocene to today, highlighting the role of spoken language and migration in creating the human system that now dominates the planet.' Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, Editor-in-chief of Cambridge World History ‘Patrick Manning has written a stimulating and exciting history of humanity, from the dawn of Homo to today, with a look to the future. This book introduces many new ideas about language, society, and institutions, challenging old paradigms and rethinking human progress.' E.N. Anderson, author of The East Asian World-System: Climate and Dynastic Change ‘In his unconventional and wide-ranging book Patrick Manning knits together an intricate account of how human beings became the unusual biological, cultural, and social entity they are. Whatever your stance on the many issues it broaches, it will get you thinking.' Ian Tattersall, co-author of The Accidental Homo sapiens: Genetics, Behavior, and Free Will