Animals, & our ever-changing relationship with them, have left an indelible mark onhuman history. From the dawn of our existence, animals & humans have been constantly redefining their relationship with one another, & entire civilizations have risen & fallen upon this curious bond we share with our fellow fauna.Brian Faganunfolds this fascinating story from the first wolf who wandered into our prehistoric ancestors' camp & foundcompanionship, to empires built on the backs of horses, donkeys, & camels, to the industrial age when some animals becamecommodities, often brutally exploited, & others becamepets, nurtured & pampered, sometimes to absurd extremes.Through an in-depth analysis of six truly transformative human-animal relationships,Faganshows how our habits & our very way of life were considerably & irreversibly altered by our intimate bond with animals. Among other stories,Faganexplores howherdingchanged human behavior; howthe humble donkeyhelped launch the process ofglobalization; & howthe horsecarried a hearty band of nomads across the world & toppled the emperor of China.With characteristic care & penetrating insight,Faganreveals the profound influence that animals have exercised on human history & how, in fact, they often drove it.Brian Faganis emeritus professor ofanthropologyat the University of California–Santa Barbara. Born inEngland, he did fieldwork inAfrica& has written about North American & worldarchaeology& many other topics. His books onthe interaction of climate & human societyhave established him as the leading authority on the subject; he lectures frequently around the world. He is the editor ofThe Oxford Companion to Archaeology& the author ofThe Attacking Ocean,Beyond the Blue Horizon,Elixir,Cro-Magnon,The Great Warming,Fish on Friday,The Little Ice Age, &The Long Summer, among many other titles.