The book helps modern man understand himself by restoring the history of the origin of our species from the very beginning, from a single common ancestor. It is known that until quite recently the first steps of mankind were shrouded in darkness - 5 million years of human evolution and 50,000 years of the prehistoric era remained a mystery to everyone. Only in the last decade, completely new data have been discovered by genetic scientists. This became possible primarily due to the completion of work on determining the DNA sequence in the human genome. Scientific expert journalist Nicholas Wade shares with readers the unique information recorded in the DNA of the human genome, which helps us in the study of our common past. The book will be of interest to all those who interested in anthropology, research in genetics and history.