Essential World History 4e

In this best-selling text, noted teachers and scholars William J. Duiker and Jackson J. Spielvogel present a brief, balanced, highly-readable overview of world history that explores common challenges and experiences that unite the human past and that identify key global patterns over time. Thorough coverage of political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, cultural, and military history has been integrated into a chronologically ordered synthesis to help students gain an appreciation and understanding of the distinctive character and development of individual cultures in society. The Fourth Edition continues to take a global approach to world history, with an emphasis on analytical comparisons between and among cultures throughout history. This approach helps students to link events together in a broad comparative and global framework, thereby placing the contemporary world in a more meaningful historical context.Available in the following split options: THE ESSENTIAL WORLD HISTORY, Fourth Edition (Chapters 1-30), ISBN: 0495902942; Volume I: To 1800 (Chapters 1-18), ISBN: 0495902950; Volume II: Since 1500 (Chapters 14-30), ISBN: 0495902969. FeaturesSeven central themes make the narrative cohesive while helping students make connections and comparisons across chapters. These themes are: Science and Technology; Arts and Ideas; Family and Society; Politics and Government; Earth and the Environment; Religion and Philosophy; and, Interaction and Exchange. Comparative Essays, Comparative Illustrations, and Documents are each keyed to one of these themes.The book contains more than 100 four-color maps and hundreds of pieces of artwork throughout. Between one and four "spot maps" appear in each chapter, providing critical details on smaller areas not apparent in the larger maps. Expanded map captions encourage readers to think beyond the mere appearance of each map and to make connections across chapters, regions, and concepts. A special insert at the front of the book features a world map and basic tips on how to get the most out of the maps in the text.Comparative Essays highlight similarities and differences between and among cultures. Examples include "History and the Environment" (Ch. 6); "Caste, Class, and Family" (Ch. 9); "Cities in the Medieval World" (Ch. 12); "Imperialism and the Global Environment" (Ch. 22), and "A Revolution in the Arts" (Ch. 23). The Comparative Essays are specifically keyed to one of the seven themes, thus helping students further identify connections.Comparative Illustrations enable students to see cross-cultural comparisons of rituals, art, war and other topics. Examples include "The Afterlife and Prized Possessions," (Ch. 3), "The Stele," (Ch. 8), "The Taj Mahal: Symbol of the Exotic East," (Ch. 16), and "The Bombing of Civilians--East and West" (Ch. 25). The Comparative Illustrations are specifically keyed to one of the seven themes, thus helping students further identify connections. Critical thinking questions have been added to these features.