The World History Workbook: The Ancient World to 1500 (Volume 1)
Often, students don't fully comprehend the complex process of how historical knowledge is constructed. David Hertzel's provocative workbook provides thoughtful exercises that allow students opportunities to gain deeper understandings of how historians make interpretations and draw conclusions about the past. In addition, he draws examples from a wide variety of periods and locations to help students glean a better understanding of what it means to be human. (M. Todd Black, Department of Defense Dependent Schools-Europe)As one who teaches at a small regional public university, I can attest to the difficulty of getting students to take reading assignments seriously.The World History Workbookwill be welcomed by all who face the same challenge. Rather than the typical one-thing-after-another text, this book gives students a real taste of the thoughts, hopes, and passions of the past-and it gets students to engage with the thinkers, the dreamers, and the passionate such that their understanding of their own world will never be the same. (Todd F. Carney, Southern Oregon University)Hertzel's workbook offers an innovative approach to learning about world history. He does not present us with an exhaustive narrative, but instead offers a wealth of information and learning frameworks along with selective narratives on a variety of world history topics. It will be a valuable tool for faculty who want to teach by using a book filled with practical exercises that places students at the center of the learning process. (David M. Kalivas, Middlesex Community College; editor of H-World at H-Net)My common frustration with textbooks is that they present neither historiography nor the tools historians use to create historical narratives. Dr. Hertzel's workbook does both. Using his workbook has enabled me to help my students understand the historical process and the tools and methods that historians employ. It introduces them to the skills that can be gleaned from historical inquiry and is written clearly enough that students in high school or college can benefit from the workbook. I am delighted to see it published more widely. (Efrosenya Lubisich, Citrus College)