Originally published in January 2019 by The Bodley Head in the United Kingdom.
Includes bibliographical references (pages [289]-323) and index.
The making of us -- Continental drifters -- Our biological bounty -- The geography of the seas -- What we build with -- Our metallic world -- Silk roads and steppe peoples -- The global wind machine and the Age of Discovery -- Energy.
A science professor discusses how the earth itself helped shape the history of the human species, explaining how mountainous terrain led to Greek democracy and how atmospheric patterns shaped the progress of exploration and colonization.