The ability to adapt to the environment is an important trait of all living organisms. The authors of the book are interested above all in how significant a role adaptability played both in the evolution of hominids and in the development of individual human civilizations, or more generally, in the history of Homo Sapiens.
Human ability to adapt to the changes of environment changed from the original passive accomodation over a more active approach with the Homo species to the creative adaptability that we see with Homo Sapiens. Great focus is laid on the neolithic revolution and its cnsequences for the restructuring of human society.
Creative adaptability is then studied in detail on the example of Egyptian culture. The authors do not deny the possible negative sides of civilization growth and present new insights on overcoming these problems as well as on the birth and development of science.