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How old is the universe? When did life on earth begin? What happened to the dinosaurs? How was the moon created? How did ancient Chinese science shape the modern world? How did Islam trigger globalization? Are humans really superior to other living things? And how can you fit the complete history of the planet into one pocket-sized book?
These are just some of the questions answered in Christopher Lloyd's acclaimed 13.7 billion year history – now in brief. In this thrill-ride across millennia and continents, the complete history of the planet comes to life: from the Earth's fiery birth to its near-obliteration in the Triassic period, and from the first signs of human life to the tentative future of a world with a burgeoning population and a global warming crisis. Covering a wide range of topics including astrophysics, zoology, and sociology, and complete with maps and illustrations, What on Earth Happened? ... In Brief is the endlessly entertaining story of the planet, life, and people.
Christopher Lloyd graduated from Peterhouse, Cambridge, in 1991 with two scholarships and a double first-class degree in History. He then became a graduate trainee journalist on The Sunday Times newspaper and was trained at the City University where he gained a diploma in newspaper journalism. In 1993, Lloyd was appointed The Sunday Times Innovation Editor and won the 1994 Texaco award for Science Journalist of the Year. In 1997 Lloyd co-founded LineOne, a joint venture Internet Service business owned by BT and News International and later became a director of News Internationals' Internet activities. He qualified in direct marketing with a Cert DM from the Institute of Direct Marketing. In January 2001 Lloyd was recruited to become chief executive of Immersive Education, an education software publishing company based in Oxford. In 2006 he left Immersive Education to spend time travelling across Europe with his wife and two children, both of whom were home-educated. The time spent on the road travelling around Europe inspired him to come up with the concept for What on Earth Happened?
"'Compelling [...] remarkably far-reaching and even-handed'"
– Sunday Times
"'An ambitious history of the planet from the Big Bang to the present day'"
– Daily Telegraph Books of the Year
