<P><EM>World History: An Introduction</EM> provides 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.</P>
<P>Each chapter traces connections with the past and the present to explore major questions in world history: </P>
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<LI>How did humans evolve from an endangered species to the most successful of them all? </LI>
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<LI>How has nature shaped human history? </LI>
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<LI>How did agricultural societies push human history in a new direction? </LI>
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<LI>How has humankind organized itself in ever more complex administrative systems? </LI>
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<LI>How have we developed new religious and cultural patterns? </LI>
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<LI>How have the paths of 'The West' and 'The Rest' diverged over the last five centuries? </LI>
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<LI>How, at the same time, has the world become more interconnected and "globalized"? </LI>
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<LI>How is this world characterized by growing gaps in wealth, poverty and inequality? </LI>
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<P>Sharp and accessible, Eric Vanhaute's introduction to this exciting 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. </P>