The Earth and Its Peoples, Brief: A Global History

The Sixth Edition features a comprehensive map program, designed for visual impact and clarity, that today”s growing number of visual learners will appreciate.

“Environment and Technology” essays reinforce the central theme of the text by highlighting and comparing technological developments over time, such as ancient astronomy, camel saddles, and iron production.

“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.

“Diversity and Dominance” primary source features begin 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.

Chapter-opening focus questions are tied to major sections within each chapter.

A color-coded pedagogical structure makes it easy to identify and link each chapter-opening Focus Question with the major section with which it corresponds, helping students focus on core concepts as they read. Each Focus Question is then summarized and answered for students at the end of each chapter in a comprehensive Chapter Review section.

All chapters have been revised and honed, and some of the material has been re-arranged to improve the flow of topics. For instance, Part IV, “Interregional Patterns of Culture and Contact, 1200–1550,” includes expanded coverage of eastern Europe and the Ottoman empire in Chapter 13 (formerly Chapter 14). A largely new Chapter 14 bears a new title, “Southern Empires, Southern Seas,” and includes treatment of the Aztec and Inka empires that were previously covered much earlier in the book. Chapter 15 reflects new research on South Asian and Polynesian maritime cultures.

Material has been streamlined throughout the latter half of the book to bring the total number of chapters down from 30 to 29.

Part VII has been reorganized and updated to showcase global themes. It also includes a brand new Chapter 26, “Revolutions in Living, 1900-1950,” which discusses technology and lifestyle changes during the period with accounts of political movements in India, Latin America, and Africa. This chapter also includes a new “Diversity and Dominance” feature on Gandhi and the Media.

The final part includes an updated discussion about the Cold War confrontation between West and East, revised discussion of apartheid and South Africa”s struggle for independence, and new material on recent world events.

New topics in the “Material Culture” features (e.g. Salt; Bells, Gongs, and Drums) drive home the many ways in which objects and processes of everyday life can play a role in understanding human history on a broad scale.