This book follows the evolutionary trail all the way from the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago to conscious life today. It is an accessible introductory book written for the interested layperson - anyone interested in the big picture coming from modern science. It covers a wide range of topics including the origin and evolution of our universe the nature and origin of life the evolution of life including questions of birth and death the evolution of cognition the nature of consciousness the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the future of the universe. The book is written in a narrative style as these topics are all parts of a single story. It concludes with a discussion on the nature and future of science.