Earth And Its People, 4th Edition

The Earth and Its Peoples was one of the first texts to present world history in a balanced, global framework, shifting the focus away from political centers of power. This truly global text for the world history survey course employs a fundamental theme--the interaction of human beings and the environment--to compare different times, places, and societies. Special emphasis is given to technology (in its broadest sense) and how technological development underlies all human activity. Highly acclaimed in their fields of study, the authors bring a wide array of expertise to the program. A combination of strong scholarship and detailed pedagogy gives the book its reputation for rigor and student accessibility. The Fourth Edition features extensive new coverage of world events, including globalization in the new millennium. Coverage of China has also been extensively reorganized and rewritten. New! Material Culture boxed features show students how historians derive meaning from everyday objects and offer comparative perspectives on global topics such as "Wine and Beer in the Ancient World" and "Fast Food." New! Chapter-opening Focus Questions are tied to major sections within each chapter and are repeated and summarized in completely revised Chapter Summaries. New! Comparative Perspectives sections foreshadow events in future chapters and illustrate comparisons between time and place. Examples include the development of early Christianity, peoples and civilizations of the Americas, and expansion in tropical Africa and Asia. Environment and Technology essays in every chapter reinforce the central theme of the text by highlighting and comparing technological developments over time, such as ancient astronomy (new to this edition), camel saddles, and iron production. Diversity and Dominance boxes offer primary source excerpts in every chapter. Each feature begins with an introduction that connects the topic to the Diversity and Dominance theme. Students are invited to explore the meaning and significance of the passage or images through a series of focus questions found at the end of the excerpt. Issues in World History essays focus on the broad themes that global historians study, such as climate change, famine and disease, and politics.Steven Hirsch is the author of 'Earth And Its People, 4th Edition', published 2007 under ISBN 9780618771493 and ISBN 0618771492.