Every time I've told a friend about the premise of this book, they've told me "Oh, yeah, I have wondered that!" This book is as entertaining as it is informative, and as it literally tells you how to rebuild civilization from scratch, you can be it's pretty entertaining. Everything in the book is carefully researched and clearly explained, and the results are a compelling explanation of how humanity got where it is today, on top of accomplishing its direct purpose. The humor that North has carried through all of his books, though comparatively understated in this text, shines through at carefully selected moments to provide commentary on the situation or on our collective history, or merely make you laugh at the idea of reinventing sex. Lastly, the text does a good job of providing a more global and objective perspective on a technological history often taught as dominated by western civilizations. Inventions are sourced to their proper historical sources, credit given to the original inventors over later (European) copycats, and the entire world is kept in mind as a potential physical location of the premise, with regard to the available resources and local flora and fauna. This very fun book will make you feel, for the first time, like the past 10,000 years of innovation are actually meaningful to you, and allow you to empathize with and mock our ancestors in the ways they truly deserve.

It’s not easy for kids to read 1 star for the funny book title.👍👎👎👎👎