Rowman & Littlefield Publishers The Human Journey: A Concise Introduction to World History, 1450 to the Present: 2

The Human Journey offers a truly concise yet satisfyingly full history of the world from ancient times to the present. The book’s scope, as the title implies, is the whole story of humanity, in planetary context. Its themes include not only the great questions of the humanities―nature versus nurture, the history and meaning of human variation, the sources of wealth and causes of revolution―but also the major transformations in human history: agriculture, cities, iron, writing, universal religions, global trade, industrialization, popular government, justice, and equality.  In each conceptually rich chapter, leading historian Kevin Reilly concentrates on a single important period and theme, sustaining a focused narrative and analytical perspective. Chapter 2, for example, discusses the significance of bronze-age urbanization and the advent of the Iron Age. Chapter 3 examines the meaning and significance of the age of “classical” civilizations. Chapter 4 explains the spread of universal religions and new technologies in the postclassical age of Eurasian integration. But these examples also reveal a range of approaches to world history. The first chapter is an example of current “Big History,” the second of history as technological transformations, the third of comparative history, the fourth the history of connections that dominates, and thus narrows, so many texts. Free of either a confined, limiting focus or a mandatory laundry list of topics, this book begins with our most important questions and searches all of our past for answers. Well-grounded in the latest scholarship, this is not a fill-in-the-blanks text, but world history in a grand humanistic tradition. Review This is a wonderfully scholarly book that directly engages the latest debates in the field (with footnotes even!) yet wears its erudition lightly. Reilly expertly weaves together political, economic, social, and LOTS of cultural threads, selecting good--and sometimes surprising--case studies for illustration. The text never loses sight of his view of the grand arc of it all, arguing for a series of successive globalizations over at least the last millennium. This text will make a wonderful companion to Reilly's two-volume document series, which remains a classic in the field.--Sue Gronewold, Kean University Kevin Reilly has been a pioneer in the field of world history for three decades. His textbooks and source collections have brought order and clarity to this vast subject for a generation of college students. In The Human Journey, Reilly presents the latest scholarship for general readers and students with his customary blend of intellectual curiosity, wonder, and lively expression. I can think of no better place to start out on the path of world history.--George D. Sussman, LaGuardia Community College, CUNY The Human Journey speaks directly to students, offering a very readable and well-developed narrative about the interactions and connections that have shaped human society--from the first hominids to the contemporary implications of globalization. Kevin Reilly presents stories of humanity's past that are concise while also providing depth and ease of understanding. This is an engaging text where readers travel back in time and are amply rewarded for their journey.--David M. Kalivas, Middlesex Community College; editor of H-World at H-Net Up-to-date information and conceptualization take this book to a new level of excellence. As always, Kevin Reilly offers rich social history and narrative.--Marilynn Hitchens, University of Colorado Denver About the Author Kevin Reilly is professor of history at Raritan Valley College. He has also taught at Rutgers, Columbia, and Princeton.