Animals, and our ever-changing relationship with them, have left an indelible mark on human history. Through an in-depth analysis of six truly transformative human-animal relationships, Fagan shows how our habits and our very way of life were considerably and irreversibly altered by our intimate bond with animals. Among other stories, Fagan explores how herding changed human behavior; how the humble donkey helped launch the process of globalization; and how the horse carried a hearty band of nomads across the world and toppled the emperor of China.

Part 1. Hunters and the hunted : Partnership -- Part 2. Wolves and people : Curious neighbors and wolf-dogs -- Cherished companions -- Part 3. The farming revolution : Down on the first farms -- Working landscapes -- Corralling the aurochs -- "Wild bull on the rampage" -- Part 4. How the donkey started globalization : "Average Joes" -- The pickup trucks of history -- Part 5. The beasts that toppled emperors : Taming Equus -- The horse masters' legacies -- Deposing sons of heaven -- Part 6. Ships of the desert : "Animals designed by God" -- Part 7. "Mild, patient, enduring" : Dominion over beasts? -- "The hell for dumb animals" -- Victims of military insanity -- Cruelty to the indispensable -- To kill, to display, and to love.