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The work How Man Became a Giant by Soviet authors Mikhail Yakovlevich Ilyin (real name Ilya Yakovlevich Marshak) and his wife Elena Aleksandrovna Segal is one of the most famous popular science works intended for children, youth and the general public in the post-war period.

The book begins with a powerful image: a giant lives on Earth — a man — who lifts locomotives, travels thousands of kilometers a day and flies above the clouds. The authors then explain how this “giant” came into being. The authors trace the history of humanity chronologically and thematically: from primitive people, the discovery of fire, tools and agriculture, through ancient civilizations, the Middle Ages, great geographical discoveries, the Industrial Revolution, all the way to modern scientific achievements.

Special emphasis is placed on man’s struggle with nature, the accumulation of knowledge, technical progress and the collective work of the masses as the engine of history — in line with the Marxist worldview, but written in a lively, narrative style that brought Ilyin great popularity.

The style is dynamic, full of interesting anecdotes, comparisons and picturesque descriptions — typical of Ilyin's books (Black on White, Stories about Things, etc.). The work is intended primarily for young people (often used as reading material), but it is also read by adults because it is accessible and inspiring.

In Yugoslavia in 1949, this book perfectly fit into the post-war spirit of optimism, faith in science and the construction of a new society. It was part of a wider wave of Soviet popular science literature that was translated and disseminated in the early years of socialist Yugoslavia.