This book is "a strong summary of world history and social evolution" (Timothy Earle, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, Northwestern University, USA). Humanity was once divided into thousands of small nomadic groups, hardly knowing each other. Each lived inside its bubble of myths and beliefs. The notion of one single global community, related by a common origin and similar aspirations-the world-began to evolve along with the founding of early civilizations. Curiously, that story is less well-known compared to the awareness about biological evolution. If you have wondered what led to the establishment of advanced societies in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, Central America, and the Andean Highlands, this book is for you. "Your work reflects the thought process of an anthropologist, resonates with the rigorous research of a historian, and at the same time, its narratives mirror the captivity of a storyteller, bringing history and progression alive, reorienting our maps and minds". Iftekhar Hasan, University Professor, Fordham University, New York City. "You have produced a tour de force; it is very well-read, is ambitious, and you deliver a big and persuasive story." Tirthankar Roy, Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science