The Ascent of Man

Jacob Bronowski

I've finally finished my own personal Roads to Mecca!

This novel by J. Bronowski, based on his British mini-series, traces the rise of mankind from the very beginning until the mid-1900's. It was published in 1974 or thereabouts, so it's a tad dated, but it's so clearly written that you don't care. He has an uncanny way of explaining science so it makes sense to even the weakest student. And it flows together so nicely, even though each chapter reads like an essay on a specific topic. For an overview of mankind's rise from rock-banging caveman to moon-walking astronaut, I could not recommend anything better. An excellent book.