Origin. Plate tectonics, climate, ocean currents, and other ways to create humanity

We often speculate about the role of individuals in history, revolutions, and inventions, but rarely consider the role that the natural environment—climate, relief, biodiversity—has played in the biography of our species. The author traces our history from the perspectives of... geology, geography, anthropology, physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, and history. But what makes this book truly special is how these disciplines intertwine in a clear, logical, and interesting way. Lewis Dartnell's exploration is full of examples of Earth's influence on human civilization: geological processes drove human evolution in East Africa, democracy emerged in Ancient Greece due to the abundance of mountainous landscapes, and the boundaries of the ancient sea still define voter behavior in the USA.