There was a time when many species among the genus homo (humans) walked the Earth together. Somehow, homo sapiens out competed them all and drove every other one into extinction. Neanderthals, for one, had bigger brains, larger muscles, and could withstand much colder temperatures than sapiens, yet bands of sapiens gradually encroached on and eventually settled in all their territories and hunting grounds. It was through the ability to cooperate in large social units that sapiens succeeded. Sapiens are united by shared myths and stories. Such common fictions still in use today consist of religion, the nation-state, fiat money, and the corporation. These are jointly defined intangible concepts accepted by mutual recognition. Language and writing were other advances sapiens used to transcend the limits of biology. By using writing, sapiens were able to push the boundaries of memory, time, and physical space beyond the confines of the biological unit. The cognitive revolution, the agricultural revolution, the industrial revolution, and finally the technological/digital revolution followed apace. This is a sweeping book that seeks to explain how exactly homo sapiens grew from humble origins to become the rulers of the entire globe.
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