Rich. Robust. Revelatory.

History is the best. I know that math and physics provide the basis of how people understand the workings of the universe, but history shows us how to understand the people in that universe. A comprehensive examination of our collective actions gives us the best way to make sense of who we are, whether we’re talking politics, theology, sociology, economics. Even more, when you leave behind the tropes and fallacies of the “Great Man of History” theory, you can explore how everyday people lived in the world, people just like you and me.

Then again, this approach to history will be familiar to anyone who has enjoyed the Tides of History podcast by Patrick Wyman over the past decade. In his new book, Lost Worlds, he investigates the rise and fall and rise and fall of multiple civilizations across world history, spanning the dawn of recorded history to the end of the Bronze Age. He draws deeply from the most contemporary of scholarship, ranging from genetics and archaeology to paleobiology, linguistics, and everything in between.

The book is also a wonderful story, penned by someone who is a formidable storyteller. Subtitled “How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World,” Wyman uses breathtaking and kinetic narrative storytelling methods that bring regular life to the fore while also revealing big picture explanations to the development of humanity. He knows this is a formidable task, which is why he shares a deep bibliography to guide readers in their additional studies.

When he can’t use an actual human from the established record, Wyman frequently creates composite characters from the archives to use as focal points for a larger lesson. These narrative guides allow the reader to follow in the footsteps of a normal person as they interact with their world, instead of seeing solely through the eyes of a well-known historical figure. Such an approach provides a richness, resonance, and realism, as it’s truly easier for us to experience the world as an average laborer, entrepreneur, or craftsperson than any sort of monarch or military leader of renown.

The overarching argument? Humanity is creative, crafty, and resilient. We will try, try, and try again to succeed, despite regular failures, and sometimes despite them. Patrick Wyman celebrates the human spirit by encouraging history fans to examine how real people – not just the bigwigs we learn about in regular history classes – lived and influenced their world.