An epic book that begins when the universe is no more than the size of an atom and ends with a 21st century planet inhabited by 6.1 billion people. Big History represents a new kind of history, one that skillfully interweaves historical knowledge and cutting-edge science. In an age when scientific advances permit people to grasp the history of mankind in the context of its ecological impact on the planet, Brown's lucid, accessible narrative is the first popularisation of this innovative new field of study.