Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up
Report an issue
Tell us what's wrong and we'll take a look.
Thanks – we got it. We'll review and follow up if needed.
*NOW AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER*
A Toronto Star Bestselling Book of the Year
“Witty and entertaining.”—Sarah Knight
“Laugh-out-loud.”—Steve Brusatte
AN EXHILARATING JOURNEY THROUGH THE MOST CREATIVE AND CATASTROPHIC F*CK-UPS OF HUMAN HISTORY
Modern humans have come a long way in the seventy thousand years they’ve walked the earth. Art, science, culture, trade—on the evolutionary food chain, we’re true winners. But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, and sometimes—just occasionally—we’ve managed to truly f*ck things up.
Weaving together history, science, politics and pop culture, Humans offers a panoramic exploration of humankind in all its glory, including the rollicking stories of:
- Lucy, our first ancestor, who fell out of a tree and died
- General Zhou Shou of China, who stored gunpowder in his palace before a lantern festival
- The Austrian army attacking itself one drunken night
Through the most spectacular fails of the present day, Humans reveals how even the most mundane mistakes can shift the course of civilization as we know it. Lively, wry and brimming with brilliant insight, this unique compendium offers a fresh take on world history and is one of the most entertaining reads of the year.
Tom Phillips
Tom Phillips is an author and journalist from London. He is currently the editor of Full Fact, the UK’s independent fact checking organisation; before that, he was editorial director at BuzzFeed UK. His previous book, Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up (a history of failure through the ages), was published in 2018 and has sold in 30 territories worldwide.
More by Tom Phillips
Why Readwise Books?
Readwise Books is an ebook & audiobook platform that automatically logs how much you and your friends read, making it fun and easy to read more. Learn more →