WADSWORTH To 1500 (The Essential World History)

Explore common challenges and experiences that unite the human past and identify key global patterns over time withTHE ESSENTIAL WORLD HISTORY: to 1500. This brief overview of world history covers political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, cultural, and military history integrated into a chronologically ordered synthesis to help you gain an appreciation and understanding of the distinctive character and development of individual cultures in society. You can use the book's global approach and its emphasis on analytical comparisons between cultures to link events together in a broad comparative and global framework that places the contemporary world in a more meaningful historical context. Review "I think that thematic approaches to world history are becoming more and more common. There are certainly certain themes--role of women, literacy and development of writing, changes in technology, role of the environment, role of religion in society--that would be very interesting. Indeed, my colleagues and I are using this approach already and so it would be nice to have a book that meets these needs." "This text is very readable, even for the student who knows very little history and is not a strong reader. However, the text is not "watered-down." It still provides the critical information that all of the students need; it is simply stated in language that all of our students can read and understand. Our previous text was full of facts and in-depth discussions. However, the chapters were long and dry, and the students simply would not read it! This text is short enough that the single mom with four kids who has gone back to school after fifteen years can actually find the time to read the chapters. I do not need a text that contains all of the information about a particular subject. Instead, I need a text that gives a general overview, and I can then elaborate on selected topics and fill in the gaps through lecture and other activities." "[Strengths: ] Breadth of coverage, primary source inclusion, and Internet supplement." "I was looking for a concise, visually engaging, and comprehensive (more global) text. These are strengths of [Duiker and Spielvogel]." "ÝStrengths: ¨ Breadth of coverage, primary source inclusion, and Internet supplement." "I think this is a great plan. I am more likely to re-adopt the book in a 3rd edition with these changes." About the Author Jackson J. Spielvogel is associate professor emeritus of history at The Pennsylvania State University. He received his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, where he specialized in Reformation history under Harold J. Grimm. His articles and reviews have appeared in journals such as MOREANA, JOURNAL OF GENERAL EDUCATION, CATHOLIC HISTORICAL REVIEW, ARCHIV FUR REFORMATIONSGESCHICHTE, and AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEW. He also has contributed chapters or articles to THE SOCIAL HISTORY OF REFORMATION, THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE: A DICTIONARY HANDBOOK, SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER ANNUAL OF HOLOCAUST STUDIES, and UTOPIAN STUDIES. His work has been supported by fellowships from the Fulbright Foundation and the Foundation for Reformation Research. At Penn State he helped inaugurate the Western Civilization course, as well as a popular course on Nazi Germany. His book HITLER AND NAZI GERMANY was published in 1987 (Sixth Edition, 2010). He is the author of WESTERN CIVILIZATION, first published in 1991 (Eighth Edition, 2012) and is the co-author (with William Duiker) of WORLD HISTORY, first published in January 1994 (Seventh Edition, 2013). Professor Spielvogel has won five major university-wide teaching awards. During the year 1988-1989, he held the Penn State Teaching Fellowship, the university's most prestigious teaching award. In 1996, he won the Dean Arthur Ray Warnock Award for Outstanding Faculty member, and in 2000 received the Schreyer Honors College Excellence in Teaching Award. William J. Duiker is liberal arts Professor