Following the success of his A Short History of the World, eminent historian Geoffrey Blainey has abridged his account of the grand adventure of human history to create ad eve more accesible version of his absorbing work. A Very Short History of the World traces the story of the world's people during the last four million years, beginning before the human race moved out of Africa to explore and settle other continents. A consummate storyteller, Professor Blainey makes the past come alive as he touches on the trivial and the grand: everything from changes in diet to profound discoveries and mighty empires.