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Mankind: The Story of All Of Us
It takes more than 10 billion years to create just the right conditions on one planet for life to begin. It takes another three billion years of evolving life forms until it finally happens, a primate super species mankind.
In conjunction with History Channel's hit television series by the same name, Mankind is a sweeping history of humans from the birth of the Earth and hunting antelope in Africa's Rift Valley to the present day with the completion of the Genome project and the birth of the seven billionth human. Like a Hollywood action movie, Mankind is a fast-moving, adventurous history of key events from each major historical epoch that directly affect us today such as the invention of iron, the beginning of Buddhism, the crucifixion of Jesus, the fall of Rome, the invention of the printing press, the Industrial Revolution, and the invention of the computer.
With more than 300 color photographs and maps, Mankind is not only a visual overview of the broad story of civilization, but it also includes illustrated pop-out sidebars explaining distinctions between science and history, such as why there is 700 times more iron than bronze buried in the earth, why pepper is the only food we can taste with our skin, and how a wobble in the earth's axis helped bring down the Egyptian Empire. This is the most exciting and entertaining history of mankind ever produced.
In conjunction with History Channel's hit television series by the same name, Mankind is a sweeping history of humans from the birth of the Earth and hunting antelope in Africa's Rift Valley to the present day with the completion of the Genome project and the birth of the seven billionth human. Like a Hollywood action movie, Mankind is a fast-moving, adventurous history of key events from each major historical epoch that directly affect us today such as the invention of iron, the beginning of Buddhism, the crucifixion of Jesus, the fall of Rome, the invention of the printing press, the Industrial Revolution, and the invention of the computer.
With more than 300 color photographs and maps, Mankind is not only a visual overview of the broad story of civilization, but it also includes illustrated pop-out sidebars explaining distinctions between science and history, such as why there is 700 times more iron than bronze buried in the earth, why pepper is the only food we can taste with our skin, and how a wobble in the earth's axis helped bring down the Egyptian Empire. This is the most exciting and entertaining history of mankind ever produced.
448 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2012
31 people are currently reading
289 people want to read
About the author
Pamela D. Toler
11 books111 followersI'm an academic renegade
The first day of my PhD program at University of Chicago, my advisor said, "You know there are no jobs, right?" I knew, but I didn't care. I wanted to write about history for a broader audience than the other five people interested in my dissertation topic. I wanted to write for history buffs and nerdy kids and the general intelligent reader. (That would be you, right?)
Officially my degree is in the history of the Indian sub-continent, with strong sub-fields in European imperialism and Islam. I feel strongly that the West in general and Americans in particular need to know more about the history of other parts of the world. That belief is often reflected in the topics I choose to write about, whether I'm working on a small story (feather hats in ancient Peru, anyone?) or a big one (Mankind: the Story of All of Us).
These days I write about a wide range of historical topics for history buffs, nerdy kids and--you get the idea. On any given day I could be working on World War I recruiting posters, the mud mosques of West Africa, the first European translation of the Arabian Nights, Napoleon's invasion of Egypt, or the history of absinth. At least half the time I'm writing outside of "my field", exploring odd corners of the past with field-tested research skills, a red-hot library card, and a large bump of curiosity.
Basically, I'm interested in the times and places where two cultures meet and change each other. Come along for the ride.
The first day of my PhD program at University of Chicago, my advisor said, "You know there are no jobs, right?" I knew, but I didn't care. I wanted to write about history for a broader audience than the other five people interested in my dissertation topic. I wanted to write for history buffs and nerdy kids and the general intelligent reader. (That would be you, right?)
Officially my degree is in the history of the Indian sub-continent, with strong sub-fields in European imperialism and Islam. I feel strongly that the West in general and Americans in particular need to know more about the history of other parts of the world. That belief is often reflected in the topics I choose to write about, whether I'm working on a small story (feather hats in ancient Peru, anyone?) or a big one (Mankind: the Story of All of Us).
These days I write about a wide range of historical topics for history buffs, nerdy kids and--you get the idea. On any given day I could be working on World War I recruiting posters, the mud mosques of West Africa, the first European translation of the Arabian Nights, Napoleon's invasion of Egypt, or the history of absinth. At least half the time I'm writing outside of "my field", exploring odd corners of the past with field-tested research skills, a red-hot library card, and a large bump of curiosity.
Basically, I'm interested in the times and places where two cultures meet and change each other. Come along for the ride.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 2, 2016
I think this book was a really fantastic undertaking - from The Big Bang up until recent years & major advances. That said, I wish they had taken more care to make sure that they edited it properly & took the time to double-check everything.
Some issues I found w/this book include:
- In some instances, there are charts alongside the text. In at least one or two instances, these sources of information don't match. For example, at one point, the text says 100+ million people were killed by the plague - which sounds pretty fantastic a number - & the chart says fewer than 75 million died.
- Spelling & grammar errors. These irritate me, as a reader & as an English major/writer. Some are simply slip-ups, like adding an "m" to a word where it shouldn't be, or a "-" out of place, but I think the worst was on a map where "Chile" was spelled "Chili."
My subjective issues w/this book include:
- There's no mention of the Great Wall of China. Not word one. Considering the Asian cultures are a significant subject covered, I found this ... just really weird!! I mean, you can see the wall from space!!
- The "eye-witness" or "Creative Nonfiction" sections, which appear on a sort of goldenrod paper to show it's different from the regular text; I take issue w/these sections b/c they're mostly made up, w/some support from historical documents, but that information is withheld until the very last page before the book's index. I think this information really would have been better placed in the beginning so that a reader knows what he/she can expect.
- The amount of attention given to different cultures & religions is very lop-sided, to say the least. Muslim culture, which, clearly, gave the most to the development & furtherance of the human culture, was given significant space. Christianity received at least a few pages, perhaps 3-5. Judaism, however, was hardly touched on - it received fewer than 2 pages. It didn't seem appropriate, considering the New Testament & its codification of laws played a significant role in future laws, including those in the U.S. I really felt it deserved ore attention.
Some issues I found w/this book include:
- In some instances, there are charts alongside the text. In at least one or two instances, these sources of information don't match. For example, at one point, the text says 100+ million people were killed by the plague - which sounds pretty fantastic a number - & the chart says fewer than 75 million died.
- Spelling & grammar errors. These irritate me, as a reader & as an English major/writer. Some are simply slip-ups, like adding an "m" to a word where it shouldn't be, or a "-" out of place, but I think the worst was on a map where "Chile" was spelled "Chili."
My subjective issues w/this book include:
- There's no mention of the Great Wall of China. Not word one. Considering the Asian cultures are a significant subject covered, I found this ... just really weird!! I mean, you can see the wall from space!!
- The "eye-witness" or "Creative Nonfiction" sections, which appear on a sort of goldenrod paper to show it's different from the regular text; I take issue w/these sections b/c they're mostly made up, w/some support from historical documents, but that information is withheld until the very last page before the book's index. I think this information really would have been better placed in the beginning so that a reader knows what he/she can expect.
- The amount of attention given to different cultures & religions is very lop-sided, to say the least. Muslim culture, which, clearly, gave the most to the development & furtherance of the human culture, was given significant space. Christianity received at least a few pages, perhaps 3-5. Judaism, however, was hardly touched on - it received fewer than 2 pages. It didn't seem appropriate, considering the New Testament & its codification of laws played a significant role in future laws, including those in the U.S. I really felt it deserved ore attention.
August 18, 2016
What this book is, simply, is a book about the history of humanity, from our first societies until the present day. It focuses on major themes and turning points that have changed things so drastically that civilization was never the same. From the Ice Age to the first farmers, the history of weaponry and wars, food production, trade and communication, revolutions and explorations - Mankind reads chronologically but draws grand comparisons. It's a very colorful volume, visually, the text is very accessible to non-historicans. There are many small vignettes throughout, giving a personal-type narrative to how a certain event or period would be reflected in the life of a singular person's experience. There are also maps and text-boxes that give in-depth descriptions of different terms and concepts.
I found it fascinating. I would carry this giant book around in my bag and read it whenever there were spare moments (and it's a heavy one!). I feel so much better informed about the history of the world. I loved the part about exploration and how it affected both native cultures and the larger globe. My only complaint, and why I am giving it four stars instead of five, is that while throughout the entire book we really got a world-wide history, the last bit of the book is heavily western-hempisphere and USA-based. It kind of petered out and got a bit muddled at the end without wrapping up in the grand way I'd imagined based on the quality of the rest of the text. It didn't spoil it, I just expected more.
If you have any passing interest in world history, this gave me a lot to think about and I feel like a better informed global citizen.
I found it fascinating. I would carry this giant book around in my bag and read it whenever there were spare moments (and it's a heavy one!). I feel so much better informed about the history of the world. I loved the part about exploration and how it affected both native cultures and the larger globe. My only complaint, and why I am giving it four stars instead of five, is that while throughout the entire book we really got a world-wide history, the last bit of the book is heavily western-hempisphere and USA-based. It kind of petered out and got a bit muddled at the end without wrapping up in the grand way I'd imagined based on the quality of the rest of the text. It didn't spoil it, I just expected more.
If you have any passing interest in world history, this gave me a lot to think about and I feel like a better informed global citizen.
February 3, 2013
Can't get enough of this book! The story itself plus the sidebars are truly fascinating. A must-have for any history buff!
April 5, 2013
This is our story, our legacy. After I read this book, I realize that we do not inherit our civilization from our ancestor, unless we borrow it from our children.
May 16, 2021
A joy to read, but very similar to the mini series. The book sparked my interest in more history books.
March 7, 2018
Judge me, but I think this book has its kind of bias about seeing our entire history as a species. But I understand it though, for this book is made primarily for western readers.
What really caught me is the quote in the final chapter of the book:
Kind of reminding me that history is still on progress, and that we all are the players.
What really caught me is the quote in the final chapter of the book:
"What happens next in the story of the human race? It's all up to us."
Kind of reminding me that history is still on progress, and that we all are the players.
January 11, 2025
《文明的故事》是本簡單有趣的小書。
從15萬年起，由人類茹毛飲血的日子到今日的太空時代，當中發生過的矚目故事可謂多不勝數；要用四百多頁的篇幅，總結這段讓人眼花撩亂的歷史，肯定不是易事；在選材方面亦不免取捨，肯定令作者費煞思量。
全書配上精美的圖片與地圖，讀來相當輕鬆，行文淺白，簡單明瞭，就像吃了一趟歷史的「麥當勞」一樣，便捷而可口，讓人回味再三。當然，讀到後來相對近代的歷史，可能是因為歷史事件極多，作者雖是按史料的時序介紹，但段落之間寫得相當零碎，難以連貫一體；另外，史料深度、其後續影響之類的討論亦顯得相當單薄。當然，以四百頁的篇幅而論，本書的內容已算是相當充實；以我這類歷史門外漢觀之，算是相當愉快的一次閱書經驗。
好書！三星推薦。
從15萬年起，由人類茹毛飲血的日子到今日的太空時代，當中發生過的矚目故事可謂多不勝數；要用四百多頁的篇幅，總結這段讓人眼花撩亂的歷史，肯定不是易事；在選材方面亦不免取捨，肯定令作者費煞思量。
全書配上精美的圖片與地圖，讀來相當輕鬆，行文淺白，簡單明瞭，就像吃了一趟歷史的「麥當勞」一樣，便捷而可口，讓人回味再三。當然，讀到後來相對近代的歷史，可能是因為歷史事件極多，作者雖是按史料的時序介紹，但段落之間寫得相當零碎，難以連貫一體；另外，史料深度、其後續影響之類的討論亦顯得相當單薄。當然，以四百頁的篇幅而論，本書的內容已算是相當充實；以我這類歷史門外漢觀之，算是相當愉快的一次閱書經驗。
好書！三星推薦。
January 28, 2020
How did we as humans get here? Read this book to find out. Very complete history with people you never heard of, plus plenty of the others.
May 6, 2020
This book is for those who want a general review of the most important events that have shaped human history. For those of us who love history, this is a great book.
November 26, 2020
Its by design lack of depth is vastly compensated by its breadth, numerous historical gems and engaging layout. Bonus points for reading it while listening to Sid Meier's Civilization OST.
October 10, 2024
An amazingly written book that truly gives a full overview of mankind’s history! 10/10.
October 31, 2016
Excellent easy to follow history book with lots of interesting side bars.
November 14, 2014
I like this book, because I like reading history book as if it is a extra extra long story book, about the past. Why do I want to know about the past? To learn from mistakes people had made through all those centuries and decades, and also see how people changed from apes to Neanderthals, to modern human beings, and as well as how Earth changed and cause huge changes from a split second to cause humans to be successful. Its complicated and there are many more examples, one of those examples are: if there ancient humans did not discover fire, they might be more dumb, because if they need to digest raw food, they will need a larger digestive system to digest the raw food, this will take up more space so their brain and skull will shrink smaller (aka. gets dumber) And if they got smarter, they will start to use and make new tools, start trades, build... etc. Why did I enjoy it? I enjoy it because I like reading about my favorite empires the Polynesians, the Romans, the Greeks, and reading about my favorite time periods, the ice age, the medieval and the renaissance. Sometimes I just read it though the night, its so interesting, I can't stop reading, even though I finished it a several times. I recommend this book to people who love reading their history book from school in their free time, I am sure you will not put this book down until you finish it up, but make sure get enough sleep.
June 3, 2016
This is a good book for world history classes in which you need to cover all of human history in just a few weeks. It is a very easy read, and insets smaller stories here and there that help give context to the bigger story being told.
However, it was badly edited - there are a lot of typos as well as some factual errors. It also plays right into the western dominance of academia by only paying attention to European and American histories. There's some of Asia in there, but only China, Japan, and the Mongols. Native Americans, Polynesians, and other indigenous groups are practically absent, just like any other world history textbook.
Finally, there are definite biases embedded in the text. For some reason the author seems to think very lowly of Venus figurines, thinks that civilization is owned only by western peoples, and does seem to celebrate all technological advances. And, the fact that the book's title is "Mankind" instead of "Humankind" should not be overlooked.
However, it was badly edited - there are a lot of typos as well as some factual errors. It also plays right into the western dominance of academia by only paying attention to European and American histories. There's some of Asia in there, but only China, Japan, and the Mongols. Native Americans, Polynesians, and other indigenous groups are practically absent, just like any other world history textbook.
Finally, there are definite biases embedded in the text. For some reason the author seems to think very lowly of Venus figurines, thinks that civilization is owned only by western peoples, and does seem to celebrate all technological advances. And, the fact that the book's title is "Mankind" instead of "Humankind" should not be overlooked.
September 19, 2015
This sat on my bookshelf for a long time because I had watched the mini series on the History Channel. I would have rated it 5 except there where numerous typographical errors in the text and the transition of the sections were sometimes haphazard. The layout also did not work well reading on my phone or tablet.
That aside, what I like about the book is it's a look at history based on how technology and advances in science affected mankind's evolution. Most history books only talk about how people changed history; this is a look at how information transformed us (domestication of wheat, discovery of iron, tracking diseases to patient zero, invention of rubber, etc.).
Full of tons of interesting trivia...it's a fun read.
That aside, what I like about the book is it's a look at history based on how technology and advances in science affected mankind's evolution. Most history books only talk about how people changed history; this is a look at how information transformed us (domestication of wheat, discovery of iron, tracking diseases to patient zero, invention of rubber, etc.).
Full of tons of interesting trivia...it's a fun read.
May 16, 2015
A breezy overview of all of human history. A short read, with some things I didn’t know. Obviously with the scope of the subject there is a great deal of editorial judgement in deciding what to include and what not to include. Some profiles are for extremely minor characters. There are some notable omissions, like all of the religious wars in Europe. I didn’t realize how cold Europe was in the Ice Ages: the same as modern day Antartica! Fun and fast, but maybe the author is a bit religious.
April 24, 2013
I have a confession to make. I think I've forgotten about 95% of all the information I learned during history classes in school. That's why I decided to read this book, but it didn't help much. The chapters are somewhat disjointed and rely on previous knowledge of the subject. I think this book is definitely better than others covering the same broad scope of history, but it wasn't a good fit for me.
August 6, 2014
A very interesting - and quite readable - book on the history of the world. The author follows the same tact as the tv series with more information in the form of sidebars thrown in..
The book deals with links between events - so those looking for huge sections dealing with the world wars will be sorely disappointed. :)
Highly recommended!
The book deals with links between events - so those looking for huge sections dealing with the world wars will be sorely disappointed. :)
Highly recommended!
Want to read
December 30, 2012This is a fascinating series running currently on The History Channel. My daughter and I are addicted. The book is a great companion - and we've been reading pieces as we go along. It provides more depth to what is shown in the series - and it's the kind of book that you can pick up and read parts without any issue. There are lots of pictures. It is not dry at all and was a great purchase!
August 25, 2013
Great book! Movie is terrific as well.
April 8, 2013
Loved this book!
June 27, 2013
I watched the series then read the book. The book does a better job at explaining the historical significance of the side stories.
December 14, 2015
I would have given this book more stars but in my opinion you can not equate the fall of Constantinople with 9/11 nor to be so causal about rape and the boo was too American in its overall slant.
January 25, 2013
Very informational book, but also very interesting. Over all, it's excellent!
March 24, 2017
A fascinating long story book about the past of us "mankind."
April 26, 2017
Remarkable. Through this book we'll see our own journey as mankind. There are important moments that changed the course of history and influenced our society therefore shaped our civilization as we know it. The author calls these moments as "goldilock moments". From the moment we discovered and harnessed the power of fire to the moment we mapped our own DNA, we realize that we've come very far from the moment we started. We'll be amazed by our own journey and start to wonder about what's to come in the future. If mankind can go this far, how much further we can go?, This book is recommended for everyone because this is the story of all of us.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews