剋裏斯托弗·勞埃德（Christopher Lloyd），曾身為學者在劍橋大學研讀曆史，任《星期曰泰晤士報》技術欄目的記者。。他與妻子和兩個女兒曾在歐洲旅遊四個月，有一次他在羅馬附近的露營地洗盤子的時候，得到瞭一個靈感，於是寫瞭《地球簡史》。

How old is the universe? When did life on earth begin? What happened to the dinosaurs? How was the moon created? How did ancient Chinese science shape the modern world? How did Islam trigger globalization? Are humans really superior to other living things? And how can you fit the complete history of the planet into one pocket-sized book? These are just some of the questions answered in Christopher Lloyd's acclaimed 13.7 billion year history - now in brief. In this thrill-ride across millennia and continents, the complete history of the planet comes to life: from the Earth's fiery birth to its near-obliteration in the Triassic period, and from the first signs of human life to the tentative future of a world with a burgeoning population and a global warming crisis. Covering a wide range of topics including astrophysics, zoology, and sociology, and complete with maps and illustrations, What on Earth Happened? In Brief is the endlessly entertaining story of the planet, life, and people.