Empathy holds communities together, and humans have evolved into empathetic creatures (and not only humans, but also primates, elephants, even rodents). Humans are hardwired to be altruistic, the result of thousands of years of evolutionary biology that has kept society from slipping into anarchy. Written in an accessible style but with a wealth of anecdotes, scientific observations, wry humour and incisive intelligence this is essential reading for the Age of Empathy we are entering.