Overview
Homo sapiens have remained the same species, largely unchanged in genetic makeup and anatomy since the Cro-Magnon era. By contrast, the cultural, social, and technological changes since then have been nothing less than extraordinary. At the core of this development is the ability of humans to store and transmit knowledge, so that each new generation stands upon the shoulders of its predecessors. This ability to use what has gone before is what sets humans apart.Telling our story, from prehistory to the present day, DK's History is a thought-provoking journey, revealing the common threads and forces that have shaped human history. Taking a broad-themed approach, acknowledging varied factors at work, from climate, ecology, disease, and geology and their roles in the human story, this visual celebration makes history accessible and relevant, putting events in their wider context and showing how they have shaped the world we live in.
Synopsis
Homo sapiens have remained the same species, largely unchanged in genetic makeup and anatomy since the Cro-Magnon era. By contrast, the cultural, social, and technological changes since then have been nothing less than extraordinary. At the core of this development is the ability of humans to store and transmit knowledge, so that each new generation stands upon the shoulders of its predecessors. This ability to use what has gone before is what sets humans apart.
Telling our story, from prehistory to the present day, DK's History is a thought-provoking journey, revealing the common threads and forces that have shaped human history. Taking a broad-themed approach, acknowledging varied factors at work, from climate, ecology, disease, and geology and their roles in the human story, this visual celebration makes history accessible and relevant, putting events in their wider context and showing how they have shaped the world we live in.
Russell T. Clement - Library Journal
This heavily illustrated (and immodestly titled) encyclopedic time line begins with information on the earliest homininae (humans and their ancestors) and concludes by documenting climatic changes in a world radically altered by modern technology. On attractive double-spread openings, it chronicles world events, intellectual and cultural movements, and historic figures, taking into account the role of such factors as climate, ecology, disease, and geology. A "National Histories" section traces the political histories of the world's 193 countries amid the changing global landscape. Hart-Davis, a writer for the BBC and the History Channel, oversaw the work of seven main consultants (primarily British and American scholars), as well as dozens of contributors and specialist consultants.
Editorials
Library Journal
This heavily illustrated (and immodestly titled) encyclopedic time line begins with information on the earliest homininae (humans and their ancestors) and concludes by documenting climatic changes in a world radically altered by modern technology. On attractive double-spread openings, it chronicles world events, intellectual and cultural movements, and historic figures, taking into account the role of such factors as climate, ecology, disease, and geology. A "National Histories" section traces the political histories of the world's 193 countries amid the changing global landscape. Hart-Davis, a writer for the BBC and the History Channel, oversaw the work of seven main consultants (primarily British and American scholars), as well as dozens of contributors and specialist consultants.
—Russell T. Clement