"Enthralling....If so compact a book can be magisterial, [this] is it.—Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World...    "A smart, literate survey... of human life from paleolithic times until 9/11."—Edward Rothstein, The New York TimesWhy has human history been crowded into the last few thousand years? Why has it happened at all? Could it have happened in a radically different way? What should we make of the disproportionate role of the West in shaping the world we currently live in? This witty, intelligent hopscotch through human history addresses these questions and more. Michael Cook sifts the human career on earth for the most telling nuggets and then uses them to elucidate the whole. From the calendars of Mesoamerica and the temple courtesans of medieval India to the intricacies of marriage among an aboriginal Australian tribe, Cook explains the sometimes eccentric variety in human cultural expression. He guides us from the prehistoric origins of human history across the globe through the increasing unification of the world, first by Muslims and then by European Christians in the modern period, illuminating the contingencies that have governed broad historical change. "A smart, literate survey of human life from paleolithic times until 9/11."—Edward Rothstein, The New York Times 11 maps, 28 illustrations

At the turn of the nineteenth century, the Ottoman Empire straddled three continents and encompassed extraordinary ethnic and cultural diversity among... the estimated thirty million people living within its borders. It was perhaps the most cosmopolitan state in the world--and possibly the most volatile. A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire now gives scholars and general readers a concise history of the late empire between 1789 and 1918, turbulent years marked by incredible social change. Moving past standard treatments of the subject, M. Sükrü Hanioglu emphasizes broad historical trends and processes more than single events. He examines the imperial struggle to centralize amid powerful opposition from local rulers, nationalist and other groups, and foreign powers. He looks closely at the socioeconomic changes this struggle wrought and addresses the Ottoman response to the challenges of modernity. Hanioglu shows how this history is not only essential to comprehending modern Turkey, but is integral to the histories of Europe and the world. He brings Ottoman society marvelously to life in all its facets--cultural, diplomatic, intellectual, literary, military, and political--and he mines imperial archives and other documents from the period to describe it as it actually was, not as it has been portrayed in postimperial nationalist narratives. A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the legacy left in this empire's ruins--a legacy the world still grapples with today.

For over a millennium, the Islamic empires were ahead of the West in learning, technology, and medicine, and were militarily far more powerful. It took... another three hundred years for the West to catch up and overtake the Middle East. In this fully updated and revised edition, historian Christopher Catherwood brings the account up to the present day and places in context the continuing friction between Israel and Palestine, the aftermath of the Iraq conflict, and the rising threat of Iran.

Can God create a stone too heavy for him to lift? Can time have a beginning? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Riddles, paradoxes,... conundrums--for millennia the human mind has found such knotty logical problems both perplexing and irresistible. Now Roy Sorensen offers the first narrative history of paradoxes, a fascinating and eye-opening account that extends from the ancient Greeks, through the Middle Ages, the Enlightenment, and into the twentieth century. When Augustine asked what God was doing before He made the world, he was told: "Preparing hell for people who ask questions like that." A Brief History of the Paradox takes a close look at "questions like that" and the philosophers who have asked them, beginning with the folk riddles that inspired Anaximander to erect the first metaphysical system and ending with such thinkers as Lewis Carroll, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and W.V. Quine. Organized chronologically, the book is divided into twenty-four chapters, each of which pairs a philosopher with a major paradox, allowing for extended consideration and putting a human face on the strategies that have been taken toward these puzzles. Readers get to follow the minds of Zeno, Socrates, Aquinas, Ockham, Pascal, Kant, Hegel, and many other major philosophers deep inside the tangles of paradox, looking for, and sometimes finding, a way out. Filled with illuminating anecdotes and vividly written, A Brief History of the Paradox will appeal to anyone who finds trying to answer unanswerable questions a paradoxically pleasant endeavor.

How did a single village community in the Italian peninsula eventually become one of the mightiest imperial powers the world has ever known? This... question is the focus of A Brief History of the Romans, an abbreviated version of the highly acclaimed The Romans: From Village to Empire by Mary T. Boatwright, Daniel J. Gargola, and Richard J.A. Talbert. This shorter version lucidly unfolds Rome's remarkable evolution through monarchy, republic, and then an empire that, at its height, stretched from Scotland to Iraq and the Nile Valley. Concise narrative integrates the political, military, social, and cultural landmarks of over 1,500 years--from the early struggles against Etruscans, Samnites, and Gauls to the sack of Rome by Alaric and his Visigoths. The book gives readers a basic yet engaging introduction to Roman history and society. It is an ideal text for courses on Ancient civilization, Roman civilization, or Roman history.FEATURES* Fourteen boxes featuring excerpts from writings by Romans themselves* Extensive variety of photos and illustrations, all with detailed captions; twenty-four custom-drawn maps of the city of Rome, Italy, the Mediterranean, and the wider Roman world* Narrative enlivened by such fascinating individuals as Hannibal, Mithridates, Pompey, Caesar, Cleopatra, Augustus, Livia, Nero, Trajan, Shapur, and Constantine* Selective, up-to-date recommendations for further reading; timeline of key events; glossary of Latin terms

This book is a clear and concise history of the soul in western philosophy, from Plato to cutting-edge contemporary work in philosophy of mind. Packed... with arguments for and against a range of different, historically significant philosophies of the soulAddresses the essential issues, including mind-body interaction, the causal closure of the physical world, and the philosophical implications of the brain sciences for the soul's existence Includes coverage of theories from key figures, such as Plato, Aquinas, Locke, Hume, and DescartesUnique in combining the history of ideas and the development of a powerful case for a non-reductionist, non-materialist account of the soul

Spanish is the fourth most widely spoken language in the world and a language of ever-increasing importance in the United States. In what will likely... become the introduction to the history of the Spanish language, David Pharies clearly and concisely charts the evolution of Spanish from its Indo-European roots to its present form. An internationally recognized expert on the history and development of this language, Pharies brings to his subject a precise sense of what students of Spanish linguistics need to know.After introductory chapters on what it means to study the history of a language, the concept of linguistic change, and the nature of language families, Pharies traces the development of Spanish from its Latin roots, all with the minimum amount of technical language possible.  In the core sections of the book, readers are treated to an engaging and remarkably succinct presentation of the genealogy and development of the language, including accounts of the structures and peculiarities of Latin, the historical and cultural events that deeply influenced the shaping of the language, the nature of Medieval Spanish, the language myths that have become attached to Spanish, and the development of the language beyond the Iberian Peninsula, especially in the Americas. Focusing on the most important facets of the language’s evolution, this compact work makes the history of Spanish accessible to anyone with a knowledge of Spanish and a readiness to grasp basic linguistic concepts.Available in both English and Spanish editions, A Brief History of the Spanish Language provides a truly outstanding introduction to the exciting story of one of the world’s great languages. 

Told through first-hand accounts, detailed scenes, and a convincing and personality-driven overview, A Brief History of the Third Reich is a complete... history of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany. It is an essential book that will explore the personalities and ideas that informed the rise of Hitler and his party, from the earliest origins in the Munich beer halls to the final fall of Berlin in 1945.

Since the dawn of time, men have gazed at the stars and attempted to chart the heavens. Beginning at Stonehenge and ending with the current crisis in... String Theory, the story of this eternal question to uncover the mysteries of the universe describes a narrative that includes some of the greatest discoveries of all time and leading personalities, including Aristotle, Copernicus, and Isaac Newton, and the rise to the modern era of Einstein, Eddington, and Hawking.

This is Volume I: To 1789 of A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WESTERN WORLD, 9th Edition. Greer/Lewis's A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WESTERN WORLD, which pioneered the... brief format for this subject, provides a comprehensive view of the development of Western civilization in half the pages of other texts. Not simply an abridgement of a longer book, this text offers students in survey courses a concise, lucid narrative. Each chapter provides broad coverage of political, social, cultural, and religious themes. Because the book is brief, instructors have the flexibility to tailor their instruction, and to assign supplementary materials as desired. The text's clear, balanced account of crucial political events, social and economic developments, ideas, and artistic creations make it a good match for most approaches to the course. Available in the following split options: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WESTERN WORLD, 9th Edition ISBN: 0534642365 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WESTERN WORLD, VOLUME I: TO 1715, 9th Edition (Parts One to Three, Chapters 1-10) ISBN: 0534642373 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WESTERN WORLD, VOLUME II: SINCE 1300, 9th Edition (Parts Three to Five, Chapters 7-16) ISBN: 0534642381

Greer/Lewis's A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WESTERN WORLD gives you a comprehensive view of the development of Western civilization in half the pages of other... texts. Each chapter provides broad coverage of political, social, cultural, and religious themes. Includes a CD-ROM and access to an online university library.

Eight months on the bestseller lists in France! From the timeless wisdom of the ancient Greeks to Christianity, the Enlightenment, existentialism,... and postmodernism, Luc Ferry’s instant classic brilliantly and accessibly explains the enduring teachings of philosophy—including its profound relevance to modern daily life and its essential role in achieving happiness and living a meaningful life. This lively journey through the great thinkers will enlighten every reader, young and old.

From the internationally acclaimed Oxford authority on Communism comes a definitive history that examines the origins of the ideology, its development... in different nations, its collapse in many of those countries following perestroika, and its current incarnations around the globe. The Rise and Fall of Communism explores how and why Communists came to power; how they were able, in a variety of countries on different continents, to hold on to power for so long; and what brought about the downfall of so many Communist systems. For this comprehensive and illuminating work, Brown draws on more than forty years of research and on a wealth of new sources. Tracing the story of Communism from its nineteenth-century roots, Brown explains both its expansion and its decline in the twentieth century. Even today, although Communism has been widely discredited in the West, more than a fifth of humanity still lives under its rule.

Venice grew out of the swamps of Italy and became one of the great mercantile and cultural centers of the world. Elizabeth Horodowich, one of the... leading historians of the city, tells the whole story, showing that Venice, alongside Florence and Rome, was one of the great Renaissance capitals. The book will also investigate the history of Venice as a multicultural trading city where Christians, Jews, and Muslims lived together at the crossroads between East and West. The narrative runs all the way to the present to the current problems with the sinking island.