World History: The Big Picture

Any other history you may have studied will make more sense when you understand the fundamental overarching concepts that become clear with a “big picture” perspective. Based on the book, This Fleeting World - A Short History of Humanity by David Christian, this discussion-oriented course offers a global view of human history in one sweeping 250 thousand year panorama. Topics include: the engine that drives human history, how the adoption of agriculture led to the modern world, global differences in change and advancement, the rise and fall pattern of states, and the path of knowledge from the ancient to the modern world. This unique approach to history provides a context and framework into which all other studies of history fit.