Product Description

Now updated–the one–stop guide to significant events in world history

Written for students and lifelong learners, this detailed overview of human history takes readers from the discovery of fire to the birth of the Internet. It features new coverage of significant events that have reshaped our world view: the events of September 11, 2001; the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; recent responses climate change; the rise of China, India, and Brazil as world economic powers; and the natural disasters of Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami that devastated Sri Lanka and Indonesia. It also explores the current trends in historical research and how researchers are re–examining everything from the writings of Marco Polo to the arrival of humans in the Americas.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30617 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 408 pages

From the Back Cover
Now updated! Your personal tour guide to the history of the world

Want to know more about global history? This concise guide explains in clear detail all the major players and events that have made the world what it is today. Covering the entirety of human history, this comprehensive resource highlights important developments in everything from religion and science to art and war — giving you an understanding of how the 21st–century world came to be.

• Begin to connect with the past — label the eras as you meet the Neanderthals, home in on Homer, raise Atlantis, and preserve Pharaohs

• Find strength in numbers — trace the growth from ancient civilizations to today′s global community and discover what makes societies succeed or fail

• Discover the impact of thought — explore the rise of religion, the roots of philosophy, and the advance of science — and how our feelings and beliefs continually redefined us

• Know the global consequences of war — ride with the Greeks and the Romans, arm yourself with the cavalry, dig the trenches, and follow the paths humans took to wage modern war

• Meet the movers and shakers — from great leaders and courageous revolutionaries to ruthless tyrants and unsung heroes

• Examine significant events of the 21st century — from 9/11 and the Afghanistan and Iraq wars to climate change, Hurricane Katrina, and the economic rise of China, India, and Brazil

Open the book and find:

• A detailed overview of history

• The development of the world′s religions

• Reviews of essential historical documents, from the Bible to the Bill of Rights

• The invention of writing and art

• Scientific developments that revolutionized the world

• Capsule biographies of people who changed history — and a few who were changed by it

• Ten unforgettable dates in world history

About the Author
Peter Haugen is a prolific history writer. In addition to authoring and contributing to several books, his work has appeared in publications including History Magazine, mental—floss, and Psychology Today. Haugen has served on the staffs of such newspapers as the St. Petersburg Times and the Sacramento Bee.

Customer Reviews

Excellent book, does exactly what it says on the cover.....
I bought this book after realising my knowledge of world history was lacking and I wanted a quick fix solution to the problem. This book does this in a friendly, easy to read manner. The author takes you on a rollercoaster of a ride on the formation of the first known human civilisations through politics, religion, philosophy and how this has affected our our current global topography. It is also full of little anecdotes wich are both amusing and very informative. If you would like to know how the saying "Dr Livingstone, I presume" came about, I would reccomend this book wholeheartedly.

Obviously I was just too dumb???
Ok, so I ignored the advice given in the introduction and tried to read the book from cover to cover, so you might say that it was my own fault I didn't enjoy it. However, I would maintain that - however I'd read it - I'd have found this book very disappointing.

In general I wouldn't consider myself a dummy, I am well educated and knowledgeable on many subjects. History NOT being one of these I hoped that this book would give me some background. I wanted there to be a spark of knowledge in my head when I heard reference to a particular period of history on the radio for example!

Sadly, having read much of the book I feel none the wiser. The information was often difficult to understand and even more difficult to retain.

For a guide that is marketed to "dummies", the author assumes a fair degree of knowledge in his readership. The most glaring example of this is the almost complete absence of maps in the book. Especially in the early chapters, there are numerous references to ancient kingdoms etc. Are we supposed to know where all these places were? Or does the author think we are so "dumb" that we won't care?

Packed with facts and dates the book does indeed tackle the whole of history in one volume. However, much of this information lacks the interesting context or logical structure that would make it stick in the readers mind.

It's a nice try at tackling a huge subject, but sadly the author did not manage to get the information from the page into my brain as I had hoped.

Does Exactly What it Says on the Book Cover
Great book, easy to follow and in simple terms. We use it as a reference book to keep handy when we want to check on something we've heard mention of on TV but don't really know much about it!