Ever since Darwin and The Descent of Man, the existence of humans has been attributed to our intelligence and adaptability. But in Catching Fire, renowned primatologist Richard Wrangham presents a startling alternative: our evolutionary success is the result of cooking. In a groundbreaking theory of our origins, Wrangham shows that the shift from raw to cooked foods was the key factor in human evolution. When our ancestors adapted to using fire, humanity began. Once our hominid ancestors began cooking their food, the human digestive tract shrank and the brain grew. A pathbreaking new theory of human evolution, Catching Fire will provoke controversy and fascinate anyone interested in our ancient origins—or in our modern eating habits.

Catching Fire provides a comprehensive review of the scientific research related to the digestibility of cooked versus raw foods. This book explains how cooking shaped our evolution by dramatically improving the digestibility of the foods we eat. Cooking yielded more fuel for our brains since less energy was required for food digestion and absorption. Without cooking we may never have evolved past Neaderthals.