My husband recommended this one to me, one of those few times he's read a book before I do and I was a bit hesitant to start with it. Mainly because he's got a fan thing about the universe and sitting through all seasons of The Universe and the episodes of Cosmos (which is actually pretty awesome, both the ancient ones with Carl Sagan as the new ones presented by Neil Degrasse Tyson) I had my share of things theoretically explained.
But I'm glad I read it, because this is one hell of a story and has opened my eyes in a way that other media have neglected to do.
Origin Story tells our history, not from the beginning of mankind, but from the beginning of the matter that we're made from. It tells the story how we came to be, the millions of chance factors that ultimately led to our existence and dominance over our environment.
I admit, its pretty filled to the nook with science jabber, but if you're already a bit familiar with how our Universe works and of what it consists, (thank you Neil!) it makes for a pretty great story.
Its scientific take spiced up with a moral sense of obligation makes me proud to be human and, at the same time, pretty humble because we're nothing more than a hiccup in the long way.
Our history is generally told, not from a perspective of one nation or a group of nations, but from the point of our species as a whole. When we developed from one-celled organisms to multicell organisms we weren't choosing sides and that how Christian tells the entire story. How agriculture and later on the discovery of fossil fuel catapulted us into a shaky future where we have to learn to let go instead of push our boundaries.
If you're interested in learning a bit more about our planet's history and how our species developed through the ages, definitely pick this book up. Even if you think it might be too scientific for you, just try it. It won't disappoint.
