An Intimate History of Humanity
By Theodore Zeldin

This is an exploration of the history of emotions and social customs of humans. It was a bit of a hit in England. Zeldin presents stories of people from different cultures and eras on topics such as how the art of conversation developed. I thought people had always had conversations, but apparently they began as exchanges of simple information. I'm making the book sound dry, but it's not. Just look at a couple of the chapter headings—like "Why There Has Been More Progress in Cooking Than in Sex." That's probably the best way to explain it.