What enabled us to go from simple stone tools to Smartphones? How did bands of hunter-gatherers evolve into multinational empires? Gaia Vince argues that modern humans are the product of a nuanced coevolution of our genes, environment, and culture that goes back into deep time. She explains how, through four key elements—fire, language, beauty, and time—our species diverged from the evolutionary path of all other animals, unleashing a compounding process that launched us into the Space Age and beyond.

"Captivating.... A provocative, highly readable take on our astonishing emergence from the primordial soup."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)