Among the book's many highlights are:
-- The First Peoples, including the earliest hominids -- from Homo habilis to the Neanderthals -- their tools, shelter, art, and technology, and the global spread of modern humans
-- The Postglacial Revolutions, including the transition from the Ice Age to emerging civilizations, the use of fire and secondary technology such as the wheel and the plow, and the formation of writing systems
-- The Rise of Civilizations, including the agriculture of the Near East, the Bronze Age trade of Western Asia, the Iron Age of Southeast Asia, Predynastic Egypt, the Americas, the Maya, and the Inca Empire.

Timelines provide a global overview and allow comparisons between different parts of the world. Regional maps trace the emergence and evolution of particular societies and civilizations and mark the connections made through trade and cultural contact.