Popular Science

Planet Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it. Us. We are the most advanced and most destructive animals ever to have lived. What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly?

The idea of the book is simply to try to understand the extraordinary contraption that is us.' In the bestselling, prize-winning A Short History of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson achieved the seemingly impossible by making the science of our world both understandable and entertaining to millions of people around the globe.

What can we do about the epidemic of fake news or the threat of terrorism? The golden thread running through his exhilarating new book is the challenge of maintaining our collective and individual focus in the face of constant and disorienting change. Are we still capable of understanding the world we have created?

Walking upright on two feet is a uniquely human skill. In this hymn to walking, neuroscientist Shane O'Mara invites us to marvel at the benefits it confers on our bodies and minds. Walking together to achieve a shared purpose is also a social glue that has contributed to our survival as a species.