World History for Dummies
Edition: 2nd edition
Series: For Dummies
Publisher: Wiley Publishing
Published: 2009
Place of publication: Hoboken, N.J., USA
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 416
ISBN-13: 9780470446546
Copyright date: 2009
Description: 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Reviews of essential historical documents, from the Bible to the Bill of Rights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
(back cover)
Table of contents: title: Introduction 1; title: Part I: Getting into History 9; title: Chapter 1: Tracing a Path to the Present 11; title: Chapter 2: Digging Up Reality 23; title: Chapter 3: Putting History into Perspective 31; title: Part II: Finding Strength in Numbers 41; title: Chapter 4: Getting Civilized 43; title: Chapter 5: The Rise and Fall of Many Empires 61; title: Chapter 6: History’s Mid-Life Crisis: The Middle Ages 77; title: Chapter 7: The Struggle for World Domination 93; title: Chapter 8: Grabbing the Globe 113; title: Chapter 9: Clashing All Around the World 135; title: Part III: Seeking Answers 163; title: Chapter 10: Religion through the Ages 165; title: Chapter 11: Loving Wisdom: The Rise and Reach of Philosophy 187; title: Chapter 12: Being Christian, Thinking Greek 201; title: Chapter 13: Awakening to the Renaissance 211; title: Chapter 14: Making a Break: The Reformation 229; title: Chapter 15: Opening Up to Science and Enlightenment 249; title: Part IV: Fighting, Fighting, Fighting 263; title: Chapter 16: Sticks and Stones: Waging War the Old-Fashioned Way 265; title: Chapter 17: The War Machine Gets Some Upgrades 277; title: Chapter 18: Modernized Mayhem 291; title: Part V: Meeting the Movers and Shakers 305; title: Chapter 19: Starting Something Legendary 307; title: Chapter 20: Battling Toward Immortality 319; title: Chapter 21: Explorers and Discoverers: Places to Go, People to See 331; title: Chapter 22: Turning Tables: Rebels and Revolutionaries 343; title: Part VI: The Part of Tens 357; title: Chapter 23: Ten Unforgettable Dates in History 359; title: Chapter 24: Ten Essential Historical Documents 365; title: Index 373