Who am I? Where did I come from? What am I doing here? Questions all of us probably ask at some point. This book doesn’t answer these very questions, but it does answer similar ones.

I imagine you shaking your head in confusion, telling yourself that I’m just trying to fill the space. But shaking your head is a sign that you are a vertebrate. And vertebrates are what this book is about. That’s right – all the vertebrates in this book are relatives of yours and mine. So now you get my point. And if you don’t, this book will explain it all to you. And now I’m out of space. So open the book and read on!