Modern humans have come a long way in the seventy thousand years they've walked the earth. Art, science, culture, trade -- on the evolutionary food chain, we're true winners. But it hasn't always been smooth sailing, and sometimes -- just occasionally -- we've managed to truly f*ck things up. Weaving together history, science, politics and pop culture, Phillips offers a panoramic exploration of humankind in all its glory, or lack thereof. From Lucy, our first ancestor, who fell out of a tree and died, to General Zhou Shou of China, who stored gunpowder in his palace before a lantern festival, to the Austrian army attacking itself one drunken night, to the most spectacular fails of the present day, this book reveals how even the most mundane mistakes can shift the course of civilization as we know it.

In the title, the word "fucked" appears with "ucke" crossed out. Originally published: Great Britain : Wildfire, 2018.

The dawn of fuck-ups -- Why your brain is an idiot -- Nice environment you've got here -- Life, Uh, Finds a way -- Follow the leader -- People power -- War. Huh. What is it good for? -- Super happy fun Colonialism Party -- A dummies' and/or current presidents' guide to diplomacy -- The Shite heat of technology -- A brief history of not seeing things coming -- Epilogue: Fucking up the future.