Watersheds of World History

by John L. Taylor

"Watersheds of World History" is the story of the amazing path taken by the human race from monarchies to democracy and from mythology to reason. This is a kaleidoscope of human events to be enjoyed by everyone but especially by those who have little or no background in world history and would like to appreciate and understand how the fragments of major events form a unified whole. Read the high reviews on Amazon.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Historical, World History, Education, Reference

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 2012

About the author

The author taught English and American literature on the university level for a decade before entering the mortgage banking industry for 20 years wherein he tried to help minorities obtain better housing. He retired in Utah and moved to Arizona with friends and family. For the last 50 years he has been an avid student of world history and he is engaged at the present time in writing books on this subject for preteens, teenagers and adults with an emphasis upon international peace, racial equality and religious tolerance.

Reviews

[John Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure I should rate my own book, but this seems to be the place where I can make a comment or two to encourage you to read my books.

I am also the author (J. L. Taylor) of "Bullheaded Black Remembers Alexander." Please read the following comments from foreign embassies to the United States:

From the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq:

"Please be assured that your book will be available for the enjoyment of every Iraqi that visits the Embassy."

From the French Embassy:

"I really find useful and admirable the main goal you pursued with this book i.e. to promote religious tolerance, understanding and harmony. Please accept my sincere congratulations for this great work."

From the Ambassador of Pakistan:

"Thank you for sending me your excellent book. It is original, innovative and very interesting. I shall have it studied from the point of view of schools and colleges. I believe it can stimulate thought and ideas."

My purpose is to write books that encourage readers to open their minds and to even change their minds about world history and world religions through a perspective that is thoughtful, reasonable and gentle, but at the same time champions racial equality, religious tolerance, individual freedom, democracy and free speech.

John L. Taylor

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big history buff and have read history and science all my life. When I read Watersheds of World History by John L. Taylor is was so nice to see what little I knew and so much I didn't know, expressed so elegantly and gracefully in this book. The book flowed like a novel rather than a history book. It seamlessly blended the history of man and all that encompasses the complexities that goes with man into this book without making it boring or having "too many dates and numbers" to remember. The biggest complaint I think people have to reading history books. It may have referenced the Bible for history more than I liked but I guess that is part of man's history too. Overall, a wonderful book if you love history. All that chattered around in my head was laid out so nicely and other things I never knew I learned from this. Great book. I received this book from the author to read and a review was not expected.

[T.S. Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was provided as a complimentary signed copy from the author, and I am very grateful to be finally fulfilling my promise to review the book.

Firstly, I have to be honest, world history from start to finish in 200 pages? I know, I asked myself that question so many times before I sat down to finally read this and I was highly sceptical whether it could be achieved. How very wrong I was.

Taylor has a unique take on history, succinct and incredibly to the point. I read a lot of history books and most historians get a little 'flowery' with their language in an attempt to make the reader love the history but Taylor takes a completely contrasting methodology in being almost blunt with the delivery of the historical facts. Usually, I would prefer more description but in this book it is much more apt to have this short, sharp burst approach as it keeps the reader hooked to the very end, even if they already know the history being told. That being said, I'm a self professed history enthusiast who reads history like fiction, and Taylor, in this masterpiece, managed to teach me a thing or two about periods of history I thought I knew inside out.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone interested in getting a beginners knowledge of world history, whether to help decide options for school, find a new hobby or even brush up on quiz knowledge. Taylor has written an immensely useful and informative text that I would, if I were a teacher of history, make a compulsory text for all my children. As it is, I'm in primary teaching and I can see myself recommending this to colleagues who are less confident in general historical knowledge to make sure they meet the grade! A fantastic talent has emerged in the literary world of non-fiction history, and I look forward to reading more from this incredibly talented and unique author.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a few issues with this book, but most of that was within the realms of faiths, and that can't really be debated, since it is what one person believes as opposed to another. Other than that, I thought this book did remarkably well on trying to consolidate the major points in world history and the impact of various religions on different cultures and history. I thought it was interesting; I learned some things I wasn't aware of before, and I thought the book flowed nicely from era to era. Mr. Taylor also encouraged the student to do further research with the internet, which makes the book versatile, since new things are always being discovered, so as time goes on, the book will still be useful. He also had some nice touches with the inclusion of historically significant pieces of literature, music, and art that the student can pursue to deepen their research. I went through this book chapter by chapter with the author, and must say, he was incredibly patient in explaining his point of view and beliefs. I received this book from the author in return for an honest review. Thank you Mr. Taylor for sharing this with me. : )

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a 186-page summary of the history of the human race, from around 9,000 BC to present day, it is by definition extremely reductive. It is a good book to introduce 12-to-17-year olds to "History" as a topic of interest, since a lot of its contents, if not most of it, are things that everyone should know about, if only to spark discussions with friends & family.

But the author, by necessity, skims over whole time periods in a few pages, naming in quick succession events and people who shaped that same period. The author says, in the preface, that the reader should use the internet (or -yikes!- the public library) to further research those topics that grabbed their interest more than others. The problem with this is that maybe the one-or-two sentence shout-outs to a famous scientist or artist might not be enough for me to want to research that person. So the solution appears to be this: research a lot of people & events, in the hopes of finding the ones that interest me more than others. Not very practical.

There are also a few things that bugged me:

(1) The story we're being told is ONE MAN's version of it, filtered through his American sympathies & sensibilities. I've read other books about a few of the topics covered here and the absence of "the other side's story" greatly undermines the author's position as a neutral story-teller. Take for example the 20th century: the writing is so blatantly biased & pro-USA that it's hard to imagine the author as being impartial to this part of "history". Some events are glossed over (the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) while others are conspicuously absent: the Manhattan project and how the US "recruited" the scientists working on it. Knowing what was left out just makes me wonder exactly how much was left out that I don't know about, you know?

(2) (and this is a pet peeve of mine) The book has a number of spelling mistakes, punctuation errors, and inconsistencies as to spelling and capitalisation. You'd think they'd proof-read these things before they're published. Here are a few groan-inducing examples:

(p.21) ... tsunami waives of great destruction.
(p.137) Mark Twain wrote The Adventurers of Tom Sawyer
(p.161) ...accepting the surrender of the Japanese on the United State's battleship Missouri.

I'm willing to forgive the occasional typo, but this is ridiculous. Ever hear of the "Untied States of America"? It's in here. (By the way, if you're a history enthusiast and would like to laugh, check out Non Campus Mentis: World History According to College Students. A fabulous little book, this one is funny on purpose!)

In conclusion, this book is worth a read, but consider the above-mentioned points, be critical of what you read, and double-check the information from multiple sources if you have to.

[Aisling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently helped one college bound child edit, edit and re-edit his college essays until they were short enough to fit on the common app. It is not too hard to write a great essay or book but it is extremely hard to do so and be concise. John L. Taylor manages to be thorough, compelling and great. I have massive respect for this book and this author.

This is a unique and brilliant book. Now that that Wi-Fi is ubiquitous and schools use laptops as part of their standard fare, this book has appeared at the right moment. As the author suggests, this book should be enhanced with further research. What it does is give a tight, logical, progressive look at history and touches on events, people, places etc that are must-knows. That broad knowledge can then be delved into further. What this book does for anyone (and I truly think there is no age limit on learning) is give you the big picture while not ignoring the details. I don't know how he managed that in less than 200 pages but he did. He really did.

I highly recommend this to anyone. History buff or not, young or old, this book will pull it all together for you, point you to some new knowledge and in just a few short hours teach you everything you missed while you were doodling during history class. Five enthusiastic stars!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great book, by a very nice gentleman.

I'm pissed, I had written a really nice review for this book and I was doing some clean-up in my account, and "poof" I made it dissapear!

I'm not one to "bug" people about a book I've read, most of the time, I'll wait for someone to ask me for my impressions on a certain book before actually contributing.

That all changed after I read Watersheds of World History. This book was so good and so instructive that I "needed" to share it with the world... OK, maybe not the world, but all my Goodreads "Friends". It pleases me to no end that many have added it to their "To Read" shelf.

Chances are that if, like me, you like "history" books, you might already be familiar with most of the stuff in this book. The "magic" part is how the author, John L. Taylor puts so MUCH information in such a small "package" without forgetting or omiting important events. And making it all so darned exciting.

Anyway, I'm still bugged that my initial review went "poof" (my fault... but I can be mad at myself too, you know), and hopefully this one will make up for it.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

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I set out to read Watersheds of World History very enthusiastically, but have to admit that I was a little disappointed in the overall book. While I still enjoyed reading the book, I was left wanting more.

John L. Taylor starts out by introducing the reader to the Fertile Crescent and the start of civilization. The story then continues all the way up through the Second World War, touching on the most important world events throughout history. Honestly, this book is a good overview of things of historical importance, but I was left wanting more.

The author states in the preface that: “There are no footnotes in this book, no maps, no references, no images, and no dates to memorize. The text is simply a clear summary of basic information available to everyone in hardcover and internet encyclopedias.”… Now, I can see how some readers might enjoy that aspect of this book as world history reads just like a story, but as an avid nonfiction reader I found that style of book to be unfit for my tastes. I was uncomfortable reading a book without any references, footnotes, or maps and because the majority of information in this book was information I already knew, I didn’t find myself wanting/needing to look up any further details.

On the back of the book the author states “to be enjoyed by everyone but especially by those who have little or no background in world history”, which definitely is a demographic I would recommend this book to. Watersheds of World History is a literally just a summary of basic world history information, talked about briefly and simply. I would definitely say that this book will not be appreciated as greatly by those with a solid background in world history, although they might be able to appreciate the storytelling aspects.

Alright, enough with the information bashing and onto the author’s writing itself. I found that Taylor did a really nice job of conveying information to the reader in an easy to understand manner. He does a good job of portraying the information in a logical format and one that would be easy to follow for readers of many ages and backgrounds. The information in this book does read just like a story, allowing the information to be absorbed by the reader without them having to focus on learning all of the facts.

The other point that I feel I should note is the formatting of this book. Some of the paragraphs in this book were bolded while others were just normal text. I found myself confused as to what the bolding of certain paragraphs was for, as I couldn’t find any noticeable pattern between the bolded paragraphs. Maybe that was just a fluke with my review copy though.

Although I found myself disappointed with the amount and quality of information in this book, it wasn’t altogether a bad book to read. I would have been happier reading this book before I’d read monstrous accounts of world history as this would be the perfect introduction book to get people interested in world history. I would recommend this book to younger audiences or those that haven’t read much about world history.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Matthew · Rating 1 out of 5]

Note: I received this book free of charge from the publisher. Thank you!

Where to begin? This book attempts to cover the entirety of recorded history in under 200 pages. Does it? Yes. However, this "history book" lacks the the most basic requirement: source material. There are no secondary sources one might turn to in order to get a deeper understanding of the topic at hand. Further, there are no primary sources. One cannot write about history without going to the source. There is no index, or appendix to speak of, which also detracts from what little worth this book might posses. In addition, the bolded type paragraphs which fill every single page further distract this reader from gaining what insights could be gathered from it. In my opinion, this book should be skipped in lieu of better examples currently in the marketplace,

[K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't finished the book yet, but I want to write a review before I get so immersed in looking up pictures and facts (like the author suggests) that I completely forget.

Despite a few technical details I will talk about in a minute, this book completely deserves five stars out of five. I'm still amazed at how the author managed to condense world history into such a concise, logical, and interesting book. It's only 192 pages, and yet I'm finding myself only able to read a chapter or two at a time because I'm absorbing all the new material. (My friend the Rev. Mysterium, on the other hand, breezed through the thing in two days...I can only surmise that he had a better education than I did.) Not all of the material is new, but some of the connections between cultures and dates never occurred to me.

This book is well-written and easy to understand. When my baby sister gets to be about middle school-aged, I am definitely going to have her read this book. I wouldn't recommend it for all middle school students, but certainly ones who show an interest in history, patterns, and connections should read this book. I WOULD recommend this book for everyone, even those not interested in history, because it helps explain early clashes between Christian Europe and the Muslim world that remain important today. I also enjoyed the brief history of Russia on pages 105-6, as I really can't remember covering Russia in school at all.

The only drawbacks to this book are technical details that I think are easily fixed. I could not for the life of me figure out why some passages were in bold and others weren't, until the Rev. Mysterium explained that those are probably passages the author is encouraging the reader to look up on the Internet (or in encyclopedias). I like the concept, but I think it would work better if presented in a slightly different way. Maybe the end of each chapter could have basic topic suggestions for Internet searches, or the author could place an image next to the portions of the book he really wants the reader to look up (kind of like how they color-code things in textbooks). I don't think it was completely clear what the bold text was about, and I can see people being confused or frustrated.

I did notice a few typos here and there, which don't really impede the reader; however, I would hate to see such a great text marred by minor errata. I don't know if John has asked anyone to proofread, but I'd be happy to do so.

To sum up, this book is an excellent, concise compilation of world history that effectively makes connections between the different countries and time periods we learned about in school. The "watersheds" title is quite appropriate. Five stars, and everyone should read this book!

ADDENDUM: Now that I've finished the book (finally--I really did get lost Googling everything), I am again amazed at the amount of material the author was able to cover! I especially appreciated the brief history of China, as it is an important economic player in the world today. I love that the author included excerpts from speeches: you can look up a lot of them on Youtube and hear them!

One thing I think would be beneficial for this book would be to include a recommended reading list at the end of the book for people with further questions. I say this because I had recently read "In the Garden of Beasts" by Erik Larson, about the American ambassador to Germany on the eve of World War II, and it would have been great to read Larson's book AFTER this one.

The chapter specifically about Africa and the Middle East is especially important because none of my history classes in school covered much about either region.

Again, EXCELLENT book, DO Google and Youtube everything that catches your interest, and I wish I'd had this book when I was younger! Trust me, the Internet really enriches what is already amazing about world history, as the author has nicely summed up in his book.

[Grey Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watersheds of World History by John L. Taylor is a masterful overview of the history of the civilised world, from a Western perspective. It is in the old sense a 'Whiggish' history in that it seeks to chart the rise from barbarism to civilisation, charting the milestones on the way, but at the same time the author is well aware that, for example, the laws of Ancient Sumer were a lot more enlightened and progressive than many found later on, and that there have been many back-steps upon this ascent.

Reading this book is a sharp reminder that the subject of History is not simply one of facts but one of interpretation, and who is one to say that the interpretation of Gibbon, or of AJP Taylor is any more or less valid than that of modern writers, or even of more ancient writers. John Taylor takes the facts and shapes them to a framework which, while telling a moral tale, also tells the tale we would all hope that the lessons of history would lead to - one of betterment, advancement and eventual attainment of the best civilisation possible.

I have never been much of one for viewing the United States of America as the supreme embodiement of the ideal, but the author makes a convincing case, and to rebut it, and tell a slightly different tale, the reader would need to produce as masterful an overview as John Taylor has here.

There is an excellent array of facts within Watersheds of World History, and of detailed analysis of not a few of them. The intellectual tradition from Socrates onwards, and the religious traditions of the Jews and the early Christians are both given a careful and intriguing overview, and in doing so form different tributaries of the same eventual strain of civilised thinking.

Occasionally I feel that a certain fact may have been whitewashed for the purpose of the narrative, but overall there is genuine intellectual integrity here, and what story covering five thousand years could be told without shoe-horning something or other to fit the tale you want to tell?

And overall, the question that has to be asked is the one that the book answers - what were the watersheds of world history, and how did we get to where we are now, from where we were then? This book takes that question and answers it in a detailed and rigorous manner, laying out facts and explanations that would do the modern generation of school children a tremendous good to study within this context. It provides a valuable learning experience, and it asks explicitly for the reader (the learner) to go and research more, to learn more from this foundation, and to build a good understanding upon it.

Definitely a work I can recommend.

[Mile · Rating 5 out of 5]

not the kind of book that i would normally read, being a historian , but i was interested in the approach the author took in trying to get people interested in history.

i believe that is well suited for young adults ,like high school kids , especially those who like watching historically based movies and tv shows . i wouldn't be surprised if quite a few teenagers who read the book end up choosing history as a major in college :).

the author makes some really good connections between regions and time periods . i was happy to see that he also includes certain regions ( china, africa, etc), which in our EURO-centric history studies are not even mentioned. for when i was at university we didn't even touch subjects like ancient china , ancient india, pre columbian america , pre colonial africa (or all of africa in fact apart from egypt .

i would definitely recommend it to any young person who might have some affinity in history

[Skylar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not like the book. There are serious issues: it's one person's biased and incomplete view of history, not a useful (or even entertaining) historical text.

1) The scope is too wide for a book so short. All of world history in under 200 pages?

2) The text does not reflect the subtitle. It discusses whole periods of history, not watershed moments.

3) It completely ignores non-Western history.

4) Most seriously, the text doesn't back up its assertions. The sentences often say, "X happened because of Y," but includes no justification for it. Having checked these assertions with my historian husband, he says the causes and effects mentioned are much more controversial than the text makes it appear, and sometimes is just plain wrong.

Worst, the language is often smug and condescending, particularly towards religious groups.

[Donna Kimball · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was asked to read and review this book by the author, I jumped at it. This book was like a review of my entire undergraduate history major in one spot! I could hear my favorite professor discussing the influence of the church on aspects of society, education, and conquest. This book is concise and very readable, Mr. Taylor makes complex ideas understandable with compact, intuitive examples.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wanted a quick review of the history of the western world. I have one minor complaint, he spent very little time on the eastern world(India, China, Japan)--I hope he decides to do the same treatment to this area.

[Roy Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5 stars on this one. There were some formatting issues in the paperback, including the back cover, that could have been more artfully done, but the overall impression of the book is excellent. One of my degrees is in history, so I am naturally drawn to historical works, and this book provides some good historical examples that are easy to follow and read. I really enjoyed the commentary of Russia and the resurgence of science. If you like historical works that aren't too intimidating, be sure to check this one out.

[Ti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very simple easy to read book going through the basics of history. If you are not a reader, and want to understand how the world evolved into what we know now, then this is the book for you. The book was actually comfortable to read, almost like an old friend. I rather enjoyed the book and would have gave it a 5 star rating had it maybe delved a little deeper into some of the subjects as they were presented in a fascinating new light. This Book was given to me by the author for a review. Well deserved stars!

[Dáithí's · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will admit that I was a wee bit skeptical when I saw the length of Watersheds of World History was less than 200 pages. How could anyone present a cogent view of this complex world from its prehistoric roots to the present day without sacrificing important facts and supporting arguments? What purpose would a thumbnail sketch of world history serve to a reader like myself with advanced degrees and a lust for learning? Would this work cause me to reassess my opinion of the author that instantly became one of my favourites with his wonderful book about Alexander the Great and his trusted horse? Time would tell. (no pun intended)

To give this book an honest assessment, I read it from cover to cover twice. I can say with total confidence that John Taylor has succeeded in creating a very readable, free flowing book of world history that is honest, informative, critical, and succinct without sacrificing quality. In fact, he includes some wonderful insights and historical footnotes that may be new to even the seasoned student of world history. I am simply in awe of how he put this wonderful book together. Watersheds of World History is equally accessible and beneficial to the novice student as it is to the post graduate, jaded armchair historian like myself. Much like his earlier work, I too am ensuring that many people are exposed to this wonderful volume of where we began, where we were, and where we are, to hopefully navigate with wisdom, where we are headed. The irony of the genesis of this story of humankind and where the book ends can not be lost. The old adage that "history repeats itself" is now more than ever a matter of life and death, not just for the individual, but for society as a unified whole.

I will be the very first to admit that I am a card carrying liberal, left of centre, controversial, black sheep, interfaith pastor. I am a student and supporter of the historical / critical method of Biblical interpretation and view the Bible as a wonderful devotional tool along with the Qur'an, The Analects, The Veda, The Upanishads, and the Tao Te Ching. As a set of history books, the Bible is not a reliable, nor authoritative source and is filled with so much bias, transcription error, obvious mythology, and overt and hidden agenda that it is folly to treat it as such. When one uses the books of the Bible in relation to world history, a fine line must be tread, as it is very easy to slip into the realm of mythology and fiction from the solid path of historical fact. Granted, one could argue that history itself is subject to all of the aforementioned criticisms as well, but for the purpose of this review, I will operate from the premise that the history discussed here is all based upon well demonstrated and accurately recorded fact.

Mr. Taylor does a wonderful job citing the Bible throughout sections of his book to make his points while keeping his feet firmly on historical ground. He is not afraid to use the term mythology when discussing some Biblical stories and aspects. He speaks of the historical Jesus, as well as other figures referenced in the Bible and keeps it all in proper perspective. I applaud him for that, as we sadly still live in a world well meaning, educated people confuse and blur the lines between history, historical probability, fantasy, mythology, and dogma. One's faith is just that...faith belonging to an individual; a personal energy that they can use to draw upon for strength and hope. History is the reality of existence belonging to a people that no matter how much wishful thinking one does, cannot shape the future for the united whole. The historical and the mystical are very important perspectives and elements of the human story, but always more accurate and credible as independent lenses.

Watersheds of World History covers a lot of ground in a way that doesn't make the reader feel as if they are drinking from a fire hose. Taylor has a very relaxed style that is exciting, entertaining, enlightening, and never dry. He links historical relationships well and stimulates interest in the subject in a way that the reader can feel well informed from reading Watersheds or continue on to research a particular subject more in depth. In fact, Taylor encourages the reader to do so, by utilizing the Internet to enrich the material presented in the book.

The only criticism that I have of the book is centred around this point. It really isn't clear as to why many sections of the book are in bold face type. I assume these are the sections that the author is highlighting for the reader to enrich with supplemental sources. I feel it would be more beneficial if this was made more clear from the outset. Also, for future editions, I would include a listing of key words at the conclusion of each chapter for the reader to explore via the Internet and other resources. There is no denying that we have reached one of the most exciting times in our history when it comes to information technology. While I mourn the replacement of print books by electronic means, I fully embrace Taylor's suggestion to read Watersheds of World History with the assistance of digitally transmitted information. One can have the best of both worlds this way.

Watersheds of World History is a wonderful book and was a joy to read (twice). Not only would I recommend it to "read for pleasure and personal enrichment", I would love to see it used in the classroom as well. Once again Mr. Taylor....a job well done.

[Jaideep Khanduja · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://pebbleinthestillwaters.blogspo...

Book Review: Watersheds of World History: Civilizations Rediscovered

Watersheds of World History - From Monarchies to Democracy and From Myth to Reason written by John L. Taylor exceeds in delivering that what it claims through its title. It is a marvelous renaissance of a detailed walk through the past of earth starting from where the civilization put its first step on the earth. I can bet that if you never had any interest in history of mankind and civilizations, you will become a big fan of this book right from the moment you start reading it. It happened not only because the context has been sequenced to fantastically, but it also hold your hand and walks you along through each page of the book passing through birth of civilization on the earth right up to the day of its modernization leaving us back to the place where we are today.

All credit goes to John L. Taylor for writing such a lovely book that holds you closely while opening up amazing facts about our civilization growth right since its inception. It is a very simple, engrossing and easy to understand book without any complication of maps, references, dates or images to grasp and remember. Nonetheless at no point you loose the grip and interest during any of your journeys to various parts of the world through different pages of this book.

The moment I started reading this book, I began encountering useful referral matter important for one reason or the other. So, I decided to mark those important points with pencil of pen so as to refer to them at a later stage as and when required. Finally when I was at the verge of completing Watersheds of World History, I noticed that almost every page had paragraphs, lines etc. marked throughout. What it means is that there is a lot of useful and important stuff lying on each page of this book written by John L Taylor. Based on the matter covered in this book, I am sure that it is going to get a place in all good libraries throughout the world, in all countries. Probably in some schools/ universities it might become a text book or a reference book prescribed by local education administrations.

The fantastic and adventurous journey starts right after the end of ice age that was almost 9000 BC (or a little more) when hardly a small amount of mankind was into existence surviving in very small groups having no civilization in place and mostly moving from one place to another. There was no fire, no language, no culture and all that these nomadic knew was hunting (animals) and gathering (leaves, fruits from plants/ trees). Nature was in abundance and there was a huge scarcity of knowledge with this humankind. Initial traces of these small nomadic groups are reported near Arabian Sea, Deserts of Arabia, Tigris river, Mediterranean Sea, Jordan river, Dead Sea, and Nile river. Initially they were just limited to staying at small places and dependent merely on animals and fruits. Gradually they started depending on rivers nearby and fishing as a source of food.

It took a little time for them to move to sea, ships and travelling across the sea to move from one location to another distanced miles apart. That is why initially they were known as People of the Rivers. Sumer and Egypt were two places where civilizations started growing separately with different ideologies and thoughts. Egypt people used to think that there is a world below this earth where people when die start living there. They also thought that when Sun sets in the evening, it goes to the other part of world and comes back in the morning. That made their thinking stronger that people who die will come back again on this earth.

Soon there were empires and people of the rivers became people of the Sea. Language and Reason took birth among the mankind. Alexandria became a great knowledge hub. The credit for this goes to Ptolemy for building large institutions, museums and libraries for scholastic and scientific researches. A large library in Alexandria was built (that exists even today) where one could find 500,000 manuscripts at that time. By the time Cleopatra died in 30 BC, Egypt flourished and groomed like anything. Gradually with the increase in civilizations, mankind and knowledge - empires and republics started. Rome became a big power during that period.

Christianity, initially faced a lot of troubles and Christians were treated as enemies by all others - viz Jews, Romans and other European places. Gradually many religions emerged and a number of great emperors gave lot of space to all religions, faiths and communities.


Overall this book would be a point of interest and curiosity for anyone belonging to any age. Probably one can have it as a part of its personal library as a good reference book for digging through the facts related to history of the world.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is every text book and Jeopardy history question neatly tucked into 186 pages. This book lends itself to highlighting the "important" parts of history, human events, and how our moral codes have been altered and adapted to meet our needs as an ever changing society, taking us from regions to individual countries and states, from vague ideas of a higher power to organized religions.

It's a great primer to get a general idea of our past and, as the author encourages, stands as a starting point to find things you may want to research further and really dig in to.

It's important to note that this isn't simply a chronological listing of things deemed important by history. Taylor demonstrates a great understanding of the matters at hand, a deep knowledge that is required to not only highlight these matters but illustrate how they're all tied together.

I had a couple of small issues with this book:
1) It's due strictly to my personal taste but the first 30 pages or so seemed rather slow and maybe a teensy bit dull. This changed rapidly when the text switched to the Roman Empire and carried the reader swiftly through the rest of the book.
2) It's oddly formatted in that the text changes from regular print to a heavy bold font on and off, several times in each chapter and section. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the change and it easily distracts the reader from absorbing the texts. If it was meant to highlight areas the author hoped the reader would pay special attention towards, it failed in that respect. There was simply too much of the book in bold print. I'd venture to guess between 35-40%. Way too much.

Overall, I was impressed with Taylor's knowledge and understanding of so many complicated issues. His writing and editorial choices make it easy to understand for a reader that may not unfamiliar with certain points and periods, flowing easily from one watershed moment to the next. It's a good read that I'd recommend to anyone who may be a bit of a history or political fan. It's a great jumping off point to learn more about so much of our political, religious, and moral arcs throughout our past.

Disclaimer: The author contacted me and sent me a free copy of this book to read and review.

[Pqh · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read history, I like to see the “the truth”. Like a camera lens turning to sharpen a blurry scene, truth causes the light and shadow of events to appear lucid and they become explicable. An author who succeeds in producing that ever- elusive focal point is John Taylor who, in Watersheds of World History, describes mankind’s modern evolution in a fashion that is more than unique and quite pictorial.

The author has spent the last fifty years studying this subject. Under Mr. Taylor’s well-researched premise, the development of applied reason is traced through time in the areas of thought, government, science,exploration, the formation of societies, economic advancement, technical advancement, literature and religion. His perspective provides an almost tour-guide view of the stunning backdrop which has perpetuated man’s quest for rational solutions to irrational problems. Mr. Taylor encourages looking at art, architecture, geography, original documents and the like on the internet for clarification if you so desire. The result is penetrating look at the most essential historical information and a view not easily forgotten.

The fact that this publication is produced in 186 pages suits anyone who is “time-challenged”. In the past, far denser works (e.g. required text books for world history) have included much less cogent information. Students who choose to read this book will increase their advantage with teachers. (Beware, as professors may become jealous.) Anyone else even slightly interested in history will repeatedly have that wonderful ah-ha experience.

Pros – Mr. Taylor’s comprehensive understanding of the subject, his ability to see the essential and to communicate it well, facile illustration of the ancient world.
Cons – lack of big publishing-house proofreading, so there are a few obscure typos, but not a lot to complain about from an author with magnificent insight and a talent divining the essential.

[Catherine Stickann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was asked by the author if I would read this book and give an unbiased review. I thank the author for sending me a copy of 'Watersheds of World History."

I enjoyed going over the history I have read, studied and lived through. In a very short book the author does a nice job of leading us through the history of man as he sees it. The author wants to encourage the reader to research what is being read. I think this is a wonderful thought, but little effort is made in the book to encourage, guide or suggest a starting point. Perhaps a companion workbook would be a useful addition to this book. Just telling a reader to find more information on the internet does little for the reader. Questions at the end of the chapter or suggestions throughout the text might motivate the student to seek more information.

The lack of resources in this book is unforgiveable. I especially think it is important to have primary resources especially when there are places where the author frequently inserts his personal opinion. It is this constant insertion of the author's personal opinion that makes this not a history book for me. My opinions and his do not always agree. This is a book that needs an index. I know that is expensive, but when you write a book, you need to commit to it. Other suggestions can be found in my status updates.

I would not recommend this to be used in schools. I believe we owe our young minds more than this.

[Eric · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was sent this book by the author to do a review. It was nice of him to do so. I know he meant well. I don't know him personally but I hope he is a nice guy and finds happiness in life. That being said, I have some harsh criticism to share. Here is my take on the book. What the author represents as history seems more of an editorial or commentary. Also, opinion and assumption are oftentimes presented as fact ("For prehistoric people there was no rational explanation of nature." "...these were the people who invented writing..." "These same people were the ones who invented the plough and the wheel."). There are errors in the information. To say that ancient Egyptians invented the sail when there is clear evidence from Mesopotamia from a much earlier time shows a lack of fact checking. Another example: "...the Greeks established colonies on the southern end of what would become Italy, and on Sicily, calling the region Magna-Graecia." "Magna-Graecia" is in Latin not Greek. To say that a particular culture is more enlightened than another because their gods are more human-like is unfounded. To make it abundantly clear that religious minded people (a category in which the majority of the world's population would fall) are irrational and divorced from reality might be insulting. I could not finish this book. I found too much wrong with it.

[Tomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Although it isn't a history text, it covered world history pretty well! I learned a lot, not just the little details that I love to absorb but also additions to the big picture of history. (Now I know why the area is called "Mesopotamia"!) Taylor did a very good job of showing the transition of nations from monarchical rule to democratic governments, and pointed out the problems arising from both forms. The book also dealt with the transition "from myth to reason" and that was well covered also. Disclaimer: I am a born-again Christian (yes, one of those Bible-thumping fundamentalists!) so I had some issues with what I perceived as anti-Christian bias. On the whole, however, I think Taylor did prove his thesis by showing how societies moved from relatively vague beliefs to organized religions. One other correction - the Emancipation Proclamation didn't free the slaves; it was the 13th Amendment since the proclamation only applied to "states currently in rebellion" against the Union (not the border states or Washington, D.C).

I am impressed with Taylor's knowledge - world history from the dawn of time to today in less than 200 pages when textbooks have trouble doing it in 700+ pages. All in all, a good book and one I'm glad I read!

[Dragos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to tell from the very beginning, I'm an illiterate when it comes to history. This is one of my first books on this subject.
I started reading this book being both skeptic and hopeful about it in the same time. This mixed feeling was there till I finished the book. It was nevertheless a great read and it IS one of those books you want to get back later and read again.
I felt at some point frustrated because the hole narrative felt like the view of a christian over the world's history. It is mainly focused on Christianity and Europe. I miss Asia's history, I miss Africa's history, I miss references to Asian and African religious beliefs. Asian religions are just briefly presented at the end of the book.
But it would have been practically impossible to pack all that in only 200 pages of history.

I really loved that it is an easy read, an easy to follow narrative. It gives you a better image over the world's history and helps you understand better some of the today's world's problems.

And most of all, this book will open your appetite to know more and more about the world's history.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Three pages of notes referring to spelling errors, poor sentence structure, and at least three major historical errors.

Page 94 "when Arthur, Henry's brother, married Catherine, the fifteen-year-old monarch was healthy, hot-blooded and passionate about her."
Arthur was never King of England. He was Prince of Wales when he died and his father, Henry VI was still live.

Page 98 about Mary, Queen of Scots time in England. "Elizabeth received her in England, but followed the advice of counselors to place her in the Tower of London."
She was never there. She was held at Carlisle Castle, Chatsworth House, Sheffield Manor, Bolton Castle, Tutbury Castle, and finally at Fotheringhay where she was tried, convicted and executed using the Casket Letters as evidence. Evidence which mysteriously disappeared afterwards.

Page 161 "Old soldiers never die; they just pass away,"
MacArthur said, "Old soldiers never die; they just fade away."

A proofreader would have been a good investment to make this book a success.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This history book would be great for a high school or freshman class in college history. I have to say I believe I learned more general history from ancient times up to modern day. This book definitely shows just how much religion has played a part in the development of many of the world's nations and was the cause of many wars. Early on the author of the book made suggestions to google certain topics for more information. I believe that suggestion is a great one, with so many of the less important historical details being left out, to keep the book a condensed version of history. I would have liked to see that suggestion carried on throughout the book. Overall I think this is a great book of condensed history, it is easy to read and does touch on almost every important event in our world's history. I say almost because I am not a historian and wouldn't really know if he missed a thing or two, here or there.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author sent me a complimentary autographed copy of this book to read and share with the faculty at the school I work. This book will help you learn all about those historical events that you are too ashamed to admit you do not know much about. It is sort of like the Cliff Notes of world history and, although abbreviated and summarized out of necessity, each historical topic is covered in just the right amount of depth for readers to adequately grasp the information. This book is appropriate for middle-schoolers, high-schoolers, and adults alike, and quite well-suited as an accessory resource for history students. Being a visual learner, however, the only thing missing for me was vivid illustrations to bring the information to life. You can tell that the author has a true passion for the subject because of the quality work he has produced in this text.

[V.A. Menon · Rating 5 out of 5]

History is a very fascinating subject. John L. Taylor’s book “WATERSHEDS OF WORLD HISTORY” takes us to a backward journey in time to show how humanity strived through struggle, war , poverty and religious oppression. The passing of events from Monarchies to democracy and from myth to reason is illustrated wisely in this book. Just imagine how was human life and society thousands of years ago during ice age and after words . How human culture nurtured and developed on the banks of Nile, Tigris and Euphrates. How humans survived against the odds of changing nature. Mr.Taylor explains the details extremely well. This is a true interpretation of history. When you start reading this book, you are not only geting aware of the incidents, but experiences them. That is the uniqueness of this work.

[Kasey Cocoa · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading through the book I wasn't sure if I actually liked it or not. It does cover several important times in history but it also skips a few I would expect to see. A history book shouldn't be written from any one point of view, instead it should present the known facts and allow the reader to make their own judgements. It wouldn't hurt to have someone good at noticing mistakes (editor) point out the more obvious ones. It's not bad for a first attempt, but certainly not something I'd push for including in a school or library. That said, there's plenty of garbage out there that's far worse than this one.


Free copy provided by the author in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for your generosity.

[SonyaA. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the wonderful author for exchange for an honest review.

Watersheds of World History is a wonderful book and was a enjoyable to read, well- written and easy to understand. I liked the way the informations is presented : from the beginning of human era to the most recent events, without too many details like dates, maps or references.

I have always loved history books but this book it made me curious to do my own research on Internet. I come across of so many things that I’ve learned and thihgs that I did’t know or forgot.

Highly recommend to read this book.