The Everlasting Man is to some extent, a deliberate rebuttal of H. G. Wells' The Outline of History, disputing Wells' portrayals of human life and civilization as a seamless development from animal life and of Jesus Christ as merely another charismatic figure. Chesterton detailed his own spiritual journey in Orthodoxy, but in this book, he tries to illustrate the spiritual journey of humanity, or at least of Western civilization.

The author Ross Douthat credits that, "Chesterton's somewhat loosey-goosey outline of history doubles as the best modern argument for Christianity I've ever read. You have to give in to the Chestertonian style, but if you do, be careful - you might just be converted." The book also has a huge influence on C. S. Lewis, who called the book "the best popular apologetic [he] know[s]," and "the [very] best popular defense of the full Christian position I know is G. K. Chesterton's The Everlasting Man."

This case laminate collector's edition includes a Victorian-inspired dust jacket.