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How long does it take to read Origin Story?

A Big History of Everything

David Christian

Origin Story by David Christian takes about 6 hours 45 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.

About 6 hours 45 minutes

A weekend read

First published 2018. 368 pages, about 101,200 words.

14 days at 30 minutes a day

Estimate based on 275 words per page.

At other speeds

Slow, 150 words a minute 11 hours 15 minutes
Average, 250 words a minute 6 hours 45 minutes
Fast, 400 words a minute 4 hours 13 minutes

The page count is the median across 1 edition, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.

About the book

"Most historians study the smallest slivers of time, emphasizing specific dates, individuals, and documents. But what would it look like to study the whole of history, from the big bang through the present day--and even into the remote future? How would looking at the full span of time change the way we perceive the universe, the earth, and our very existence? These were the questions David Christian set out to answer when he created the field of "Big History," the most exciting new approach to understanding where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. In Origin Story, Christian takes readers on a wild ride through the entire 13.8 billion years we've come to know as "history." By focusing on defining events (thresholds), major trends, and profound questions about our origins, Christian exposes the hidden threads that tie everything together--from the creation of the planet to the advent of agriculture, nuclear war, and beyond. With stunning insights into the origin of the universe, the beginning of life, the emergence of humans, and what the future might bring, Origin Story boldly reframes our place in the cosmos."--Jacket.

Subjects: Biocomplexity, Civilization, Human evolution, World history, Philosophy, Cosmology

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