If we hadn't domesticated plants and animals, we would still be living at subsistence level as hunter-gatherers, notes Richard Francis. But why did we embark on this plan, and how on earth did we pull it off? This tapestry of history, archaeology, and anthropology from the author of Why Won't Men Ask for Directions? delves into the intricate workings of this collaborative evolutionary process. Surveying dogs, horses, camels, and even lab rats, Francis notes how our long-term cultivation of tamer, more obedient animals has changed their temperaments and their physical structure. Intriguingly, Francis suggests that signs of this "domestication syndrome" can also be found in humans, with our own evolution paralleling the transition from wolves to dogs.