Humans

Humans – who are we?

Physically, we’re unremarkable in the animal world – a hairless ape. But somehow, in combination, our characteristics make us remarkable.

How can our ears listen to this audiobook with such precision, differentiating each specific word? How can we understand the symbols in it and hear the thoughts someone has inferred?

With our union of dexterity and brain power, we discovered ways of finding food and beating the elements not only in our home on the African savanna, but in every habitat from jungle to Arctic waste. Uncovering exactly how we did this is not easy. Each fossil or flint tool discovery seems to rewrite the human story.

This thought-provoking audiobook presents the latest advances in understanding, challenging old myths and baked-in misconceptions – all through the lens of the human body. Do women have hearts, lungs, and legs adapted to running down prey because they inherited their fathers’ hunting DNA, or because in fact, they did their share of hunting themselves? Humans tells the story of our evolution through our seemingly ordinary anatomy alongside mind expanding facts of what we achieved with it.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your library along with the audio.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alice Roberts originally trained as a medical doctor before becoming a university lecturer. While teaching anatomy at Bristol University, she developed a research interest in biological anthropology. She is now Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham, and Director of Anatomy for the NHS Severn Deanery School of Surgery. She is part of the original team on BBC2's Coast, Alice went on to host a range of BBC programs, including The Incredible Human Journey and Origins of Us. Alice is the author of the Sunday Times no.1 best seller, Crypt (2024), completing a trilogy that began with Ancestors (2021) and Buried (2022).

NARRATOR: Simon Slater is an award-winning composer of over 300 original scores for theatre, film, television and radio. As an actor he is a familiar face on British television, as well as having appeared in films and many critically-acclaimed theatre productions in London and abroad. He has narrated over 100 audiobooks, including Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Peter Robinson’s Inspector Banks series.

© 2026 Alice Roberts (P) 2026 DK Audio