A History of the World

This was my favorite book of all time. I will re-read it soon. There are no endless barage of dates or wars. THIS IS THE STORY OF THE SURVIVAL OF THE HUMAN RACE. It often is not a pretty picture, and Thomas tells it like it is, often sad and shocking, BUT ALWAYS ENTERTAINING AND ENDLESSLY FASCINATING.History is amazing. This is what I learned. Shame on the scholastic powers that be, that neglect this kind of honesty! Want to know why we are here? How we got here? The fate of common man? The ascent of men and civilization? The tragedies? The bizarre twists of history?THIS BOOK HAS IT ALL.

I first read this book in grad school and found it to be one of the most fascinating books I have ever had the pleasure to read. A well-written and exhaustively detailed account of the history of humankind, Thomas addresses topics as diverse as how the development of the clock changed man's thinking about the world around him to why lands that required extensive irrigation systems tended to invite totalitarian forms of government. This is not a quick read by many means, but it will change the way you view history and the development of civilizations. It is a shame this book is currently out of print, more people should have the opportunity to enjoy it.

The author presents the technology that made possible major changes in history. A development in the plow yielded more arable land to France which yielded greater food supplies which led to a boom in the population which grew Napoleon's army which made his conquests possible.