'A poetic erudite exploration of history and myth' Financial TimesAn unforgettable journey
through centuries and across cultures to the pivotal moment in evolution - when humans did
something that no species had yet tried - when we became the hunter and no longer the prey.
Informed by Greek and Egyptian myth the stories of poets shamans and gods Roberto Calasso's
expansive exploration of our relationship to animals and sacrifice encourages us to reframe
our understanding of our place in history and in the world. 'Calasso has created a much
discussed original genre for these books ... a dense pastiche of myth biography criticism
philosophy history and minutiae ... woven together by Calasso's unflagging vision' The New
Yorker
