Lifelong learners will appreciate this book about the history of everything

We all have an origin story. In some societies, they manifest as (表现为) creation myths. In others, they look more like history textbooks. It’s human nature to be curious about where we come from, and origin stories unite people through a common history and shared sense of purpose.

As the creator of Big History, David is well-suited to write about how we came to be. Big History tells us the story of the universe from the big bang to the first signs of life to today’s complex societies.

Origin Story is essentially the Big History course condensed into a short book. It divides 13.8 billion years of existence into what David calls “thresholds”—moments in history that mark key transition points, like the formation of our solar system and the first appearance of early humans. The chapters about the early thresholds are heavy on physics and chemistry, but it skews more towards biology and anthropology as single cell life evolves into more complex beings.

David is a very good writer, and he has a way of making complicated subjects fun. Origin Story does a fantastic job distilling (提炼，蒸馏) the latest thinking about the origins of the universe.

The book ends with a chapter on where humanity—and the universe—is headed. Instead i wish he talked more about the role innovation will play in preventing the worst effects of climate change, he gets a little stuck on the current economic and political malaise (不适，心神不安) happening in the West. But he nails (强调，钉子) the importance of this moment in history: “Things are happening so fast that, like the slow-motion time of a near accident, the details of what we do in the next few decades will have huge consequences for us and for the biosphere (生物圈) on scales of thousands of years. Like it or not (不管喜欢与否), we are now managing an entire biosphere, and we can do it well or badly.”

Understanding where humanity comes from is crucial to shaping where we go next. Origin Story is an up-to-date (最新的) history of everything that will leave you with a greater appreciation (了解，鉴别，欣赏) of our place in the universe.

See you tomorrow