Overview
Any complete understanding of today’s world must take into account the meaning of Western Civilization and the role Western civilization has played in history. Despite modern progress, we still greatly reflect our religious traditions, our political systems and theories, our economic and social structures, and our cultural heritage. The updated 10th edition of Western Civilization, aligned with the updated course framework and exam, aims to assist a new generation of students in learning more about the past that has helped create them and the world in which they live. New material on world history has been added to show the impact other parts of the world have made on the West. The ongoing struggle with terrorists since 2001 has made clear the intricate relationship between the West and the rest of the world. It is important to understand not only how Western civilization has affected the rest of the world but also how it has been influenced and even defined since its beginnings by contacts with other peoples around the world. Another goal of the text is to present a well-balanced work in which the political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, cultural, and military aspects of Western civilization have been integrated into a chronologically ordered synthesis. The latest research on social history and women’s history has been integrated into each chapter of the book rather than isolating it in lengthy topical chapters or in separate sections. Western Civilization aims to put the story back in history. That story is an exciting one, yet many textbooks fail to capture the imagination of their readers. Narrative history effectively transmits the knowledge of the past and is the form that best aids remembrance. At the same time, the text presents the kind of historical analysis that reveals how historians often disagree on their interpretations of the past.