[Cassidy] takes readers on a rapid-fire pop-science tour of historic discoveries and inventions . . . Making history fun is often a challenge, and here Cassidy succeeds. I read this book in one quick sip and imagine it to be a perfect gift book for young and old adults. . . . This casual but thoughtful tour through time is a great way to travel, particularly now, when we re all stuck at home. San Francisco Chronicle
Cassidy tells the stories of individuals over the past thousands and even millions of years whose names will never be known, but whose innovations benefit us to this day. New York Post
A fun and enlightening quick trip through all the clever, stupid, dangerous, and gross human firsts that we've all wondered about. Zach and Kelly Weinersmith, New York Times bestselling authors of Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That'll Improve and/or Ruin Everything
In this fascinating and entertaining book, Cody Cassidy has done what might seem impossible: illustrating the identity, life, and death of some of the most momentous and entirely anonymous figures in human (and prehuman) history. Ryan North, author ofHow To Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler
Illuminating and entertaining . . . Cassidy humanizes prehistory with wit and a firm grasp of the science behind these anthropological case studies. Enthralled readers will develop a new appreciation for the ancient past. Publishers Weekly
Cassidy embarks on a wide-ranging, far-flung journey of curiosity that easily engages the reader. Chapters are brimming with history that may surprise readers as well as compel them to further investigate. Booklist
A breezy read through millennia of human development. Kirkus Reviews
Cody Cassidy is the co-author of the popular science book And Then You're Dead, which was translated into more than ten languages, and a former bookstore clerk in Buenos Aires. While writing Who Ate the First Oyster? he attempted to shave with chipped obsidian like the inventor of the world's first razor, retraced the final steps of an ancient murder victim through the Pyrenees and the Alps, brewed beer by spoiling gruel, and fired a replica of an ancient bow and arrow, among other experiments. He lives in San Francisco.