Europeans, especially those from northern and eastern Europe, are unique in having diverse hair and eye colors and a skin almost as pale as an albino's. Those colors are not only brighter than the original black and brown but also "purer"-they lie within thin slices of the visible spectrum. Overall, that color scheme is more developed in women, who naturally have a higher incidence of red hair, blonde hair, and green eyes. They also have fairer skin. The distinguishing features of Europeans began as female features.

A visual transformation occurred among ancestral humans on the open plains of Europe, and it began among their women. It also occurred over a short span of time-less than ten thousand years. Why? How? That is the puzzle this book will address.