Best known for the "Impact Theory" explaining dinosaur extinction, the author of T. Rex and the Crater of Doom has championed a science-first approach to the interdisciplinary field of Big History. In this illustrated overview, Walter Alvarez offers a layman's introduction to the four vital fields of study: Cosmos, Earth, Life, and Humanity. Answering some of mankind's oldest questions, Alvarez explains the incredible occurrences—from the Big Bang to the formation of supercontinents, the dawn of the Bronze Age, and beyond—that have led to our improbable place in the universe.