Most of us take for granted the features of our modern society, from air travel and mobile phones to literacy and obesity. However, human society had none of the above for almost the entire duration of its 6 million years of existence.

Although the gap that separates us from our primitive ancestors seems insurmountable, we can take a glimpse into much of our previous way of life through traditional societies that still exist or existed until recently. Societies like that of the highlands of New Guinea remind us that, based on the time scales of evolution, everything changed just yesterday.

The book The World Until Yesterday provides a firsthand captivating picture of human life as it was thousands of years ago and examines what the differences between that past and our present mean for us today.

Jared Diamond extensively describes his many years of field research in the Pacific islands, as well as the available evidence about the Inuit, the Amazonian Indians, the Kung of the Kalahari Desert, among others, without idealizing. He has learned a great deal from the approaches of traditional societies to universal issues such as child-rearing, treatment of the elderly, conflict resolution, risk assessment, and achieving health and fitness, and he conveys it to us in an exciting way.

In his book, by exploring a wide range of various categories of social practices, he emphasizes the many critical lessons we should draw, while highlighting life decisions that may help us live longer and healthier, enjoy happier old age, and raise our children with confidence and autonomy.

A provocative, illuminating, and entertaining book, The World Until Yesterday is a must-read today for anyone who cares about the world of tomorrow.