Prize-winning historian David Christian takes us on a fascinating journey, telling the story of the universe and history of humanity in only 102 pages. We start with the Big Bang, move on to the earliest era of human foragers, then learn about to the invention of agriculture and the spread of humans around the world. We finally arrive in the twenty-first century, the Anthropocene epoch. This popular book, now in its sixth printing, was designed for students and also includes an appendix about AP World History Teacher’s Guide by Bob Bain and Lauren McArthur Harris.. There are numerous “Thought Experiments” guaranteed to spark discussion about the past, present, and future. Welcome to This Fleeting World.
“History teachers wrestling with the question How do I teach all the stuff that makes up world history? might find some answers here. Rather than focus on the minutiae of details, Christian suggests teaching from the big picture. When flying above familiar terrain, he writes, “From the plane you will not see many details, but you will get a clearer sense of the landscape. Individual objects may be blurred, but you will see the relationship between them more easily.” The book can easily be read in one sitting and should prove to be a valuable classroom resource.” —Voya
Voya –
“History teachers wrestling with the question How do I teach all the stuff that makes up world history? might find some answers here. Rather than focus on the minutiae of details, Christian suggests teaching from the big picture. When flying above familiar terrain, he writes, “From the plane you will not see many details, but you will get a clearer sense of the landscape. Individual objects may be blurred, but you will see the relationship between them more easily.” The book can easily be read in one sitting and should prove to be a valuable classroom resource.”
Bill Gates –
“I first became an avid student of David Christian by watching his course, Big History, on DVD, so I am very happy to see his enlightening presentation of the world’s history captured in these essays. I hope it will introduce a wider audience to this gifted scientist and teacher.”
William H. McNeill, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Chicago; author of The Rise of the West (National Book Award) and The Human Web –
“Julius Caesar famously summed up the surprises and confusion of ten years of war in Gaul with three Latin words: Veni, Vidi, Vici – “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Here, David Christian performs a similar feat by summing up the surprises and confusion of 250,000 years of human history in just 92 pages; and improves on Caesar’s boast by showing how persistent collective learning expanded human skills, and enlarged our numbers, wealth, and power across the ages. What a quick, convenient, and persuasive way to begin to understand the confusing world in which we find ourselves!”
Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, University of Notre Dame –
“No one except David Christian could do it. He has a unique talent for mastering data, processing it efficiently, and writing it up lucidly. He can simplify without dumbing down and can be provocative without sliding into outrage. Readers can rely on him for a sensitive, well-informed, well-judged, reflective, and miraculously concise overview.”
Midwest Book Review –
“A good read from beginning to end.”
Terry Burke, University of California, Santa Cruz –
“David Christian is the Copernicus of “Big History.” His approach [is] so capacious, conceptually rigorous, and challenging as to force the reconsideration of all histories written on a lesser scale. I strongly recommend it.”