fascinating overview of history of humanity - the cultural, political, economic and scientific trajectory of homo sapiens, with the disappearance of the other homo species. 
 really interesting view of development of fictive language enabling the potential of sapiens 
 the Cultural revolution 
 a view on the agricultural revolution as a Pyrrhic advance, tying humanity to crops and land and labour and risk, while allowing population explosion that would prevent regression to hunter gatherer 
 some of the later sections seemed to present conclusions that were not entirely supported by the evidence presented... 
 or like the view on maximising happiness, seemed like lat minute additions that have been better explored elsewhere 
 still some gems, happiness where individual delusions and societies delusions align 
 equivalence of political systems with religious ones 
 thought provoking