Book two of "A History of the Universe" starts where the first volume left off: the arid and treacherous brush of North-East Africa. It was there that a tiny tribe of nomadic primates set out on an unlikely journey of world conquest. Dr. Kong traces the steps of these intrepid early modern humans from the cradles of civilization to the great empires of antiquity: Greece, Rome, Persia, and Byzantium. Meet the masters of bygone times from Alexander to Zoroaster. Relive the great discoveries of Archimedes, the sermons of Saint Paul, the philosophy of Shankara, and the poetry of Lao Tzu. From the caveman to the Crusades, it's all here, complete with counterfactual arguments. 'Humanity' is an intellectual feast for the senses.