Evolution is a series of bets, and no animal gambles the way humans do. This has led us to unprecedented ecological dominance, via the steepest odds and unlikeliest of outcomes, but our winning streak cuts both ways: the secret to our success may yet be our downfall.

The Gambling Animal offers a revelatory retelling of the human story. Drawing on their unique research into the management of risk by humans and other animals - including their groundbreaking work with elephants in Limpopo hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand - Harrison and Ross reveal the hidden logic of our rise. But with an ecological crisis on the horizon, how long will our winning streak continue?