The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire

Gee has a knack for making science come alive with a vivid image and witty phrase … Brilliant * The Times *Hugely informative and entertaining … Gee’s scholarship is impeccable and lightly worn … I can’t think of another author who could pull off [his] straight-talking, detached yet jovial style. He is such an amiable guide to our doom * New Scientist *Highly engaging * The Observer *Absorbing … Gee’s easy style makes this not just an informative but also an enjoyable read – John Gribbin, Literary ReviewFascinating * Forbes *At once chatty and ambitious * The New York Times *The wake up call our species needs … a strangely engrossing read, addictive because of its continuum of interesting facts … garnished with wit and humour * The Conversation *A wide-ranging look at the human past and the possibility of our species’ extinction … serious but nonetheless entertaining * Kirkus Reviews *Henry Gee wrote my favourite book of last year and has now written my favourite book of this year. How he manages to expand my mind, and my knowledge of life on earth, while making me giggle at our own forthcoming extinction, well, t’aint natural. Put this at the head of your reading lists immediately, people. Before it’s too late – Eric IdleExhilarating … With the witty and conversational style that won him the Royal Society Science Book prize, Henry Gee tackles the existential question of humanity’s future. Measured and enlightening, Henry Gee is a sage – Steve Brusatte, author of The Rise and Fall of the DinosaursLike Jared Diamond meets Arthur C. Clarke with a dash of Douglas Adams, this deserves to be widely read and debated – Philip Ball, author of How Life Works and Critical MassA fascinating, deeply researched study of our evolutionary journey and a wonderfully enjoyable adventure – Michael Bond, author of WayfindingBeautifully crafted, superbly researched, witty, with lashes of humour … Compulsory reading for all humans, mandatory reading for politicians – John Long, author of The Secret History of Sharks

Dr Henry Gee was born in 1962. He was educated at the universities of Leeds and Cambridge. For more than three decades he has been a writer and editor at the international science journal Nature. His latest book, A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth, won the 2021 Royal Society Science Book Prize and has been translated into over two dozen languages. He lives in Cromer, Norfolk, with his family and numerous pets.