World History, Volume II: Since 1500, Loose-Leaf Version

Duiker, William J.; Spielvogel, Jackson J.

ISBN 10: 1305632206 ISBN 13: 9781305632202

Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing, 2015

Synopsis

From the dawn of civilization to the modern dilemmas of nation building in Africa and the Middle East, WORLD HISTORY takes a fascinating look at the common challenges and experiences that unite the human past and inform the future. Authors William J. Duiker and Jackson J. Spielvogel's best-selling book uses colorful visuals, maps, and dramatic first-hand historical accounts to give readers a powerful perspective on the human experience over time. The easy-to-read narrative is organized around seven major themes (Science and Technology; Art and Ideas; Family and Society; Politics and Government; Earth and the Environment; Religion and Philosophy; and, Interaction and Exchange), important to all cultures from all time periods, to help readers understand the course of world history and make connections across chapters.

About this title

About the Author:

William J. Duiker is liberal arts Professor Emeritus of East Asian studies at The Pennsylvania State University. A former U.S. diplomat with service in Taiwan, South Vietnam, and Washington, D.C., he received his doctorate in Far Eastern history from Georgetown University in 1968, where his dissertation dealt with the Chinese educator and reformer Cai Yuanpei. At Penn State, he has written extensively on the history of Vietnam and modern China, including the highly acclaimed COMMUNIST ROAD TO POWER IN VIETNAM (revised edition, Westview Press, 1996), which was selected for a Choice Outstanding Academic Book Award in 1982--1983 and 1996-1997. Other recent books are CHINA AND VIETNAM: THE ROOTS OF CONFLICT (Berkeley, 1987), U.S. CONTAINMENT POLICY AND THE CONFLICT IN INDOCHINA (Stanford, 1995), SACRED WAR: NATIONALISM AND REVOLUTION IN A DIVIDED VIETNAM (McGraw-Hill, 1995), and HO CHI MINH (Hyperion, 2000), which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 2001. While his research specialization is in the field of nationalism and Asian revolutions, his intellectual interests are considerably more diverse. He has traveled widely and has taught courses on the history of communism and non-Western civilizations at Penn State, where he was awarded a Faculty Scholar Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the spring of 1996. In 2002, the College of Liberal Arts honored him with an Emeritus Distinction Award.

Review:

"I find [WORLD HISTORY] to be a fun and accessible text for students. It is comprehensive in its coverage yet well organized and clearly written. I love the diversity of approaches and materials presented."

"[WORLD HISTORY] reads more as a story of history that keeps [students'] interest. The text is scholarly, yet understandable to them. Many of the students are not interested in history and dread it; this text makes their experience better and stronger."

"The use of contrasting primary materials, and the attempt to integrate the best aspects of primary source readers into a general text book separate this book from other books."

"The focus questions and critical thinking questions are superb. I use these questions as my discussion starters for the class. I like that the critical thinking questions are using high-level questioning according to Bloom's Taxonomy."

"I especially appreciate all of the space and attention that this textbook devotes to social history, gender, and cultural production."

About this edition

• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1305632206
• ISBN 13: 9781305632202
• Binding: Loose Leaf