Do you have to agree with a theory or accept the argument put forward by an author to enjoy the book? I don't believe that you do, and with this in mind I can recommend The Ascent of Man by Richard Guy, which has the intriguing and descriptive subtitle of "Downhill all the way." When you read the argument, you will understand it.

The author brings a lot of authority to this publication from his professional life building airports, docks and highways.

His basic theory is a combination of planetary expansion and receding seas, and he certainly makes a case for this over more than 100 pages of closely argued facts. My jury is still out on the theory, but reading the book is an education for anyone who likes to be challenged and to accumulate interesting information.

Among the items Guy discusses in the book are the disappearance of salt marshes, the rise of civilisations on high ground and mountain areas, and the cost of dredging the Suez Canal.

You may not agree with this phenomenon, but Guy deserves to be heard as he expounds some very plausible arguments for something that, if correct, could affect us all.