Prologue --

Part 1. Just another species of big mammal. 1. A tale of three chimps ; 2. The great leap forward --

Part 2. An animal with a strange life cycle. 3. The evolution of human sexuality ; 4. The science of adultery ; 5. How we pick our mates and sex partners ; 6. Sexual selection, and the origin of human races ; 7. Why do we grow old and die? --

Part 3. Uniquely human. 8. Bridges to human language ; 9. Animal origins of art ; 10. Agriculture's mixed blessings ; 11. Why do we smoke, drink, and use dangerous drugs? ; 12. Alone in a crowded universe --

Part 4. World conquerors. 13. The last first contacts ; 14. Accidental conquerors ; 15. Horses, Hittites, and history ; 16. In black and white --

Part 5. Reversing our progress overnight. 17. The golden age that never was ; 18. Blitzkrieg and Thanksgiving in the New World ; 19. The second cloud --

Epilogue : Nothing learned and everything forgotten? --

Acknowledgments --

Further readings --

Index