Paradise Rediscovered: The Roots of Civilisation, Vol 1 (Volume 1)

This book attempts a methodical reconstruction of the Neolithic society which gave rise to the first civilisation, leading to the possibility that some ancient peoples commanded a now lost recipe for extended life-spans (the legendary elixir of life). The work spans mythology, linguistics, ancient texts, astronomy, earth sciences, human genetics, and the cell biology of ageing. Its scholarly but colloquial and non-academic provocative style is intended for an interested but non expert audience. 
Note: This is Volume 1 of a two volume set. Volume 2 (ISBN 9781921869884) contains the final chapters of the set.