The history of science has never been a uniquely European endeavor. As James Poskett reveals in this new look at mankind's progress, Copernicus relied on mathematical techniques from Arabic and Persian texts, Newton's laws of motion used astronomical observations made in Asia and Africa, Darwin consulted a 16th-century Chinese encyclopedia, and when Einstein studied quantum mechanics, he was inspired by the Bengali physicist. This inspiring tribute to unsung heroes establishes that the most important scientific breakthroughs have come from the exchange of ideas from different cultures around the world.