In approximately 200 pages, this book seems to describe what 200,000 pages could not come close to adequately holding: the history of the world. Featured in this brief ride through the human condition: why over 40% of the world speaks in tongues descended from an obscure tribe called the Indo-Europeans, how political violence escalated in a three part ancient republic, the African king whose massive wealth caused inflation when he traveled abroad, the probability that you are personally related to Genghis Khan, how the coming of Islam influenced Java's shadow theater, how Sub-Saharan Africans were visiting Europe long before Europeans "discovered" Sub-Saharan Africa, the six foot eight giant who collected midgets while also making Russia a great power, Britain's wars with China over their right to sell illegal drugs, the CIA intervention in order to secure a monopoly for a fruit company, Soviet jokes and the African World War. Also mentioned is all the stuff you know already: the origins of the major world religions, Ancient Greece and Rome, Charlemagne, the French Revolution, World War One and World War Two, including the part of WWII between China and Japan that had a death toll estimated around 20 million.