How did time begin? What conditions led to humans evolving on Earth? Will we survive the Anthropocene? And is it really true that we’re all made from stars?

Combining knowledge from chemistry, biology, and physics, with insights from the social sciences and humanities, A Brief History of the Last 13.8 Billion Years follows the continuum of historical change in the cosmos — from the Big Bang, through the evolution of life, to human history.

In this compelling and revealing book, David Baker traces the rise of complexity in the cosmos, from the first atoms to the first life and then to humans and the things we have made. He shows us how simple clumps of hydrogen gas transformed into complex human societies. This approach — Big History — allows us to see beyond the chaos of human affairs to the overall trajectory. Finally, Baker looks at the dramatic and sudden changes we’re making to our planet and its biosphere and how history hints at what might come next.

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‘A Brief History of the Last 13.8 Billion Years operates at such a vast scale that it cannot help but brush up against the eternal and the profound.’

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‘It’s quite a feat to then fit this Big History into a “shortest history” … It is helpful to see through the perspective of Big History, to cultivate some humility. At the same time, Big History can also point to our uniqueness, perhaps leading to a similar conclusion: our tenure is fragile, and we shouldn’t squander our time under the sun.’

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‘A Brief History of the Last 13.8 Billion Years is a captivating exploration — through life, the universe and everything.’