Eduard Altarriba

All animals communicate with each other in one form or another, but humans are unique in that we have been able to go much further, creating languages and symbols to share and explain ideas, feelings and abstract concepts. Communication has allowed us to make breakthroughs in science and convey emotions through art and music, and in order to communicate faster and farther, we have created technologies ranging from writing to the Internet. Almost everything we do during the day is a form of communication – not only when we speak, listen, read or write, but also when we see road signs or read each other’s body language. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of communication in all its many forms, from ancient times to AI.

The human race’s desire to explore the boundaries of the known world drove our ancestors to climb the tallest mountains, conquer the poles and cross vast uncharted oceans before ultimately reaching out into space in the 1960s. Huge rockets were built to allow our space pioneers to travel beyond Earth’s orbit and land on the Moon. But there is another frontier that we have yet to set foot on – Mars. The Red Planet is our next destination; it will be a long process, starting with small scientific bases hidden among craters and ending with enormous self-sustaining cities. But what will the journey from Earth to Mars be like? What will we find when we land? Where will we get oxygen and food? In this book, you will find answers to all these questions about day-to-day life in a Martian city. Mars offers us the opportunity to start anew – are you ready for lift-off?