The cover story in today’s New York Times Magazine is “So Bill Gates Has This Idea for a History Class …” but it wasn’t really Bill Gates who had the idea, but historian David Christian, a friend, advisor, and popular Berkshire Publishing author, whose remarkable story is featured in the article.  Bill Gates did see the potential of Big History as a high-school course, and the other Bill in the story, William H. McNeill, also deserves credit for immediately recognizing the importance of David’s work. Bill McNeill was in his 80s when David first contacted him, the grandfather of the field of world history. He reminded us today, when we showed him the article, that he had then described himself as John the Baptist, and David as the Messiah. This always embarrasses David, but Bill persists because it is what he believes. And how nice it was to see him quoted in the NYT when he is nearly 97 !