|
 
$10.95
Used Hardcover
Ships in 1 to 3 days
This title in other editionsA Brief History of the Human Raceby Michael Cook
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:A global account of how and why human history unfolded as it did from the rise of agriculture to the fall of the Twin Towers. WHY HAS HUMAN HISTORY been crowded into the last few thousand years? Why has it happened at all? Could it have happened in a radically different way? What should we make of the disproportionate role of the West in shaping the world we currently live in? This witty, intelligent hopscotch through human history addresses these questions and more. Michael Cook sifts the human career on earth for the most telling nuggets and then uses them to elucidate the whole. From the calendars of Mesoamerica and the temple courtesans of medieval India to the intricacies of marriage among an aboriginal Australian tribe, Cook explains the sometimes eccentric variety in human cultural expression. He guides us from the prehistoric origins of human history across the globe through the increasing unification of the world, first by Muslims and then by European Christians in the modern period, illuminating the contingencies that have governed broad historical change. Book News Annotation:Denying any attempt at a "Grand Unified Theory of history," Cook
(Near Eastern studies, Princeton U.) presents his history of human-
kind, necessarily selective and "patchy." He devotes a significant
portion of the text to the development of cultures in different
geographical zones of the world before turning his attention to more
typical matters such as the rise of Islam and the expansion of
Europe. These latter chapters are the closest he comes to presenting
a "Grand Unified Theory," with his suggestion that globalization
began with Islam providing the thematic basis for the closing
chapters.
Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Synopsis:Includes bibliographical references (p. [360]-367) and index.
Table of ContentsWhy is history the way it is?: Palaeolithic background — Neolithic revolution — Emergence of civilization — Smaller continents: Australia — Americas — Africa — Eurasian landmass: Ancient near east — India — China — Ancient Mediterranean world — Western Europe — Toward one world?: Islamic civilization — European expansion — Modern world.
What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
Other books you might like
Related Aisles
|
|||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
Follow us on...
|
||||||||||
Don't Miss
