An eminently readable and compact history of human society from the Stone Age to the present.
There have been histories of the world before, some long, some short, some scholarly, some trying to be popular. But there has not been a history of human society as readable and portable as 'The Human Story'.
Davis tells how ancient, wandering peoples settled down, and how humans founded cities, conquered neighbours, formed religions, learned what kind of animal we are and where in the universe we live, fought two nearly global wars, and journeyed into space.
'The Human Story' is more a narrative than a study of why things happened. Davis tells the story swiftly and clearly, using anecdotes, pungent quotations, and bits of humor to illumine big events. Although the book was written during decades marked by wars and terrorism, Davis believes recent technology has brought about a turning point in human history. The book's point of view is optimistic.