World History: An Introduction

World History: An Introductionprovides readers with the knowledge and tools necessary to understand the global historical perspective and how it can be used to shed light on both our past and our present. A concise and original guide to the concepts, methods, debates and contents of world history, it combines a thematic approach with a clear and ambitious focus. The book is moulded by three main concerns: the formation and foundations of distinct societies; the elaboration of traditions that hold individual societies together; and the impact of interactions and encounters between societies. Each chapter begins and ends with an issue of relevance in the contemporary world and traces connections with the past to explore major questions in world history: How did humans evolve from an endangered to a successful species? How has nature shaped human history? How did agricultural societies push human history in a new direction? How has humankind organized itself in ever more complex governing systems? How have we developed new religious and cultural patterns? How have the trajectories of 'The West' and 'The Rest' diverged over the last five centuries? How, at the same time, has the world become more interconnected and "globalized"? How is this world characterized by growing gaps in wealth, poverty and inequality? Sharp and accessible, Eric Vanhaute's introduction to this popular field demonstrates that world history is more of a perspective than a single all-encompassing narrative: an instructive new way of seeing, thinking and doing. It is an essential resource for students of history in a global context.