Synopses & Reviews
Tested by readers and approved by faculty, WCIV provides a brief, inexpensive introduction to western civilization that is packed with study tools designed to accommodate the diverse lifestyles of today's learners. Learning is made easy through chapter-by-chapter study cards, self-quizzes, downloadable flash cards, marginal notations, key-term definitions, pronunciation guides, and links for further study that are found throughout the book. In addition, important concepts are easily reinforced through the interactive eBook, which provides readers with extensive links to primary sources, maps, and critical thinking exercises.
Review
"...this is a solid, concise, well written and highly readable history."
Review
"[WCIV is] an accessible and clearly written, well organized textbook that does a great job integrating primary source documents and internet resources.... I would feel confident that my students could get the necessary information out of the text and that it would support and reinforce my class lectures."
Review
"I would be likely to encourage my students to go through the student review cards and the Reasons Why features. I would use the what do you think feature in leading discussion and perhaps to review some material before an exam."
Synopsis
Greer/Lewis's A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WESTERN WORLD, VOLUME II SINCE 1300 provides you with a comprehensive view of the development of Western civilization in half the pages of other texts. Each chapter provides broad coverage of political, social, cultural, and religious themes. Includes a CD-ROM and access to an online university library.
About the Author
Thomas H. Greer has studied and taught Western civilization for more than thirty-five years. He was one of the founders and developers of the highly regarded one-year humanities course at Michigan State University, completed by over 100,000 students, and served as department chairman. He is a specialist in contemporary world affairs. Among his publications are AMERICAN SOCIAL REFORM MOVEMENTS: THEIR PATTERN SINCE 1865; THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AMERICAN DOCTRINE OF AIR POWER, 1917-1941; THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II (coauthor); WHAT ROOSEVELT THOUGHT: THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL IDEAS OF F.D.R.; and CLASSICS OF WESTERN THOUGHT (general editor).Gavin Lewis received his Bachelor of Arts from Oxford University and his Ph.D. from Princeton University. His research and publications include studies of central European history, Sumerian civilization, Athenian politics and religion, print and culture in the Renaissance, and the decipherment of Egyptian writing. He has over thirty years? experience teaching Western civilization to undergraduates. He is the author of CHURCH AND PARTY IN POLITICAL CATHOLICISM: THE CLERGY AND THE CHRISTIAN SOCIAL PARTY IN LOWER AUSTRIA, 1887-1907; TOMS MASARYK; and CLOSE-UPS OF THE PAST: WESTERN CIVILIZATION IN CASE STUDIES.
Table of Contents
"This is the best one-volume survey of Western history that I know of. Unlike most such texts, it is truly written on the college level. It doesn?t talk down to its readers, though it subtly gives them the background they need.""I believe its most obvious special strength is its organization. The clear explanations of both political/diplomatic and cultural/intellectual developments woven into the narrative structure used makes the text readable and accessible for students.""I think this book is very readable and well organized. It has many important organizational advantages. It attempts to take a balanced view of various cultural and religious issues. I am very impressed with the overall quality of the text book. I will recommend that the rest of the committee look at this as an alternative to the Perry book.""The timelines are very appealing and strikingly laid out. The overviews at the beginning of each chapter are nicely presented and do a fine job of tying the chapter?s themes together. The impact of technology and science is consistently well explained, and art and music are integrated nicely.""This text is set apart from comparable competing texts by the sophistication of its narrative. Most comparable texts water down the content and simplify the vocabulary. This text presents a quality narrative that matches that of much longer texts."