In this fascinating study, archaeologist Ian Hodder moves away from the two prevailing theories about the evolution of the human species - the older idea of "progress" and the newer idea of "natural selection" - proposing a directional theory of evolution based on the concept of "entanglement": the increasingly mutual dependence between humans and things.

Humans rely on things to meet their needs and solve their problems. But things, in turn, rely on humans for their care, involving them in ever-widening entanglements with different things and trapping them in increasing dependence on them over time. It is this mutual dependence that, according to Hodder, creates the dominant trend in evolution. Using a wide range of examples, from the discovery of fire and the invention of the wheel to the lights we use to decorate the Christmas tree, the author shows how webs of dependence between humans and things have encircled the planet, dramatically limiting our ability to respond to global crises.