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Big Ideas Simply Explained
El Libro de la Historia
Grandes ideas, explicaciones sencillas
Con un lenguaje claro, El libro de la historia ofrece breves y sencillas explicaciones de las ideas que subyacen a los acontecimientos que han configurado nuestro mundo, esquemas que simplifican conceptos complejos e ingeniosas ilustraciones que juegan con nuestras ideas sobre el pasado.
�Qu� permiti� el nacimiento de la democracia en la Antigua Grecia? �Qu� provoc� la ca�da del Muro de Berl�n?
Este libro de historia responde a estas y otras muchas preguntas sobre la historia del mundo revisando las civilizaciones, las revoluciones y los avances tecnol�gicos que har�an nuestro mundo irreconocible para nuestros antepasados. La historia universal relatada con bellas ilustraciones y fotograf�as.
Tanto el aprendiz en la materia, como el �vido estudiante o el apasionado de la historia, hallar�n en este libro mucha informaci�n interesante.
Pensamientos cultivados, grandes teor�as
Rework sentences from the website and current listing where possible that flow organically from Action Points
�Te gustar�a poder conectar hechos actuales con acontecimientos del pasado con una base s�lida de historia? Este libro de historia en espa�ol invita al lector a hacer un viaje al pasado, como pre�mbulo, tal vez, para comprender el presente.
Ordenado de forma cronol�gica, El libro de la historia muestra la historia de la humanidad recopilada para una lectura entretenida y did�ctica.
Descubre qu� sucesos precedieron colonizaciones, guerras, reinados y gobiernos y las influencias que tuvieron en la vida de las personas, as� como de qu� forma la cultura y el pensamiento del pasado han influido enormemente en qui�nes somos hoy como civilizaci�n.
El libro de la historia es un libro clave para comprender los acontecimientos a lo largo de la historia y qu� motiv� que tuvieran lugar, orden�ndolos de forma cronol�gica e ilustrado para una mayor comprensi�n. Adem�s, la historia se desglosa por etapas y continentes:
- Los or�genes: del Paleol�tico a la Edad del Hierro
- El nacimiento de los estados
- La historia de Eurasia
- La historia de Asia
- La historia de Am�rica
- La historia de Ocean�a
- El mundo actual
El libro de la historia pertenece a la galardonada serie Grandes Ideas explica temas complejos de un modo f�cil de entender mediante explicaciones claras y alej�ndose del academicismo tradicional. Su creativo dise�o y los gr�ficos innovadores que acompa�an al texto hacen de esta serie una introducci�n perfecta a una gran diversidad de materias para toda la familia.
Con un lenguaje claro, El libro de la historia ofrece breves y sencillas explicaciones de las ideas que subyacen a los acontecimientos que han configurado nuestro mundo, esquemas que simplifican conceptos complejos e ingeniosas ilustraciones que juegan con nuestras ideas sobre el pasado.
�Qu� permiti� el nacimiento de la democracia en la Antigua Grecia? �Qu� provoc� la ca�da del Muro de Berl�n?
Este libro de historia responde a estas y otras muchas preguntas sobre la historia del mundo revisando las civilizaciones, las revoluciones y los avances tecnol�gicos que har�an nuestro mundo irreconocible para nuestros antepasados. La historia universal relatada con bellas ilustraciones y fotograf�as.
Tanto el aprendiz en la materia, como el �vido estudiante o el apasionado de la historia, hallar�n en este libro mucha informaci�n interesante.
Pensamientos cultivados, grandes teor�as
Rework sentences from the website and current listing where possible that flow organically from Action Points
�Te gustar�a poder conectar hechos actuales con acontecimientos del pasado con una base s�lida de historia? Este libro de historia en espa�ol invita al lector a hacer un viaje al pasado, como pre�mbulo, tal vez, para comprender el presente.
Ordenado de forma cronol�gica, El libro de la historia muestra la historia de la humanidad recopilada para una lectura entretenida y did�ctica.
Descubre qu� sucesos precedieron colonizaciones, guerras, reinados y gobiernos y las influencias que tuvieron en la vida de las personas, as� como de qu� forma la cultura y el pensamiento del pasado han influido enormemente en qui�nes somos hoy como civilizaci�n.
El libro de la historia es un libro clave para comprender los acontecimientos a lo largo de la historia y qu� motiv� que tuvieran lugar, orden�ndolos de forma cronol�gica e ilustrado para una mayor comprensi�n. Adem�s, la historia se desglosa por etapas y continentes:
- Los or�genes: del Paleol�tico a la Edad del Hierro
- El nacimiento de los estados
- La historia de Eurasia
- La historia de Asia
- La historia de Am�rica
- La historia de Ocean�a
- El mundo actual
El libro de la historia pertenece a la galardonada serie Grandes Ideas explica temas complejos de un modo f�cil de entender mediante explicaciones claras y alej�ndose del academicismo tradicional. Su creativo dise�o y los gr�ficos innovadores que acompa�an al texto hacen de esta serie una introducci�n perfecta a una gran diversidad de materias para toda la familia.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published August 30, 2010
2079 people are currently reading
7103 people want to read
About the author
R.G. Grant
132 books44 followersR.G. Grant is a historian who has written extensively on many aspects and periods of history. Among his more than fifty published books are: Battle, Soldier, and Battle at Sea (2005, 2007, 2008). He was also a major contributor to the ITV Visual History of the Twentieth Century (1999) and consultant for Chronology of World History (1995). He is also a contributor to 1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History, where earlier versions of his contributions to Britannica first appeared.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
April 1, 2018
Knowledge of the world is the first step to global citizenship!
Why teach history? Why not add more hours of maths or technology instead? There is so much students need to learn in order to be professionally successful later, and besides, they can check historical facts on the internet. Who ever needed to know anything about Mughal India to be an asset in the workplace? Who needs it for recreation?
For most educated people, historical knowledge is part of a cultural package they subscribe to, but which they do not value in the same way they value for example management, financial or technological skills. It is something they learn passively in their spare time, going to museums, reading the odd historical article, maybe even a book on a specific era of special interest. But why have students study it in school? Wouldn’t more English, math or science be better? Or another language?
History as such, in its global stretch from the Olduvai Gorge over early agricultural societies in the Mesopotamian river valleys to huge empires and later formation of modern nations, ideologies, conflicts, and inventions, is a neglected stepchild in most contexts, not least in school.
Considered something that can be scrapped without loss, it is frequently reduced to a mere stereotypical look at the most famous monsters and saints, heroes and villains. Instead of connecting historical and geographical knowledge to generate deeper understanding of development processes, history lessons are quite often reduced to watching themed documentaries, writing about random topics without context, showing “old-fashioned” pictures and reading historical adventure fiction. The argument is that general knowledge can be “looked up”.
My experience, however, is that if we do not teach the basics anymore, students will not know what to look for. The inherent danger of that lack of context is vulnerability to naive acceptance of “alternative” facts. If we ask students to discuss and interpret something they do not know anything about, they are lost in an ocean of information they can’t relate to. More often than not, the “debate” turns into mere speculation or fantasy argumentation based on personal history and parental beliefs.
The result is a fragmentary understanding of the causes and effects of developments, and difficulties to see history as a sequence in time, and a simultaneous global process. I guess all history teachers have their moments when they realise how little knowledge and understanding can be taken for granted without thorough engagement and dialogue with the students.
I remember correcting tests once in a staff meeting (secretly) and giving myself away by laughing out in loud frustration when reading the answer to the question:
“In what way did communication improve in Ancient Rome?”
One student, who obviously had not listened to the lessons or studied at home, thought he could improvise an answer and wrote:
“They invented aeroplanes and that was good for transportation.”
On a more serious note, history helps us explain to students what happens in the world today, and why it is worrying. It helps students see patterns, characteristics of successful or failing societies, and the impact of strong personalities on the course of history. Comparing a person to Hitler has become a general insult, a way to express utter disgust for the methods used to reach power, but who can still explain properly what were the social and economic causes for his rise, and how he used fear and propaganda to achieve his goals?
To be able to establish an idea of timelines, cause-and-effect-chains, biographical information, and connections between different events, countries, and topics, we need overviews of global history.
We need reference books that offer structured information, and that refer back to different earlier sections, thus putting them into a wider context, adding quotes, primary sources, major events, and relationships between diverse historical questions over time and geographical borders. We need history books that look at ideas and people, in all parts of the world, and from different perspectives. And we need explanations in straightforward language, with as little regional bias as possible.
This book offers just that: an introduction to world history in clear layout. It is not a book for scholars, and there is plenty of detail left out, but it is a highly necessary book nonetheless. It is a first step to “real” history. A first step to learn about the events that demagogues like to quote out of context, a first step to an overview of humankind’s mistakes that should not be repeated. A first step to learn about fights against oppression, for civil rights, and for democracies. And a first step to learn about dictatorship and propaganda.
It is an excellent book for students to consult, in order to have a knowledge basis to start from when they are faced with politicians who work with power play, denunciation, spreading of fear and demagoguery.
We study history to learn from the past, for a better future. This is an excellent way to start, with an appealing modern design.
Why teach history? Why not add more hours of maths or technology instead? There is so much students need to learn in order to be professionally successful later, and besides, they can check historical facts on the internet. Who ever needed to know anything about Mughal India to be an asset in the workplace? Who needs it for recreation?
For most educated people, historical knowledge is part of a cultural package they subscribe to, but which they do not value in the same way they value for example management, financial or technological skills. It is something they learn passively in their spare time, going to museums, reading the odd historical article, maybe even a book on a specific era of special interest. But why have students study it in school? Wouldn’t more English, math or science be better? Or another language?
History as such, in its global stretch from the Olduvai Gorge over early agricultural societies in the Mesopotamian river valleys to huge empires and later formation of modern nations, ideologies, conflicts, and inventions, is a neglected stepchild in most contexts, not least in school.
Considered something that can be scrapped without loss, it is frequently reduced to a mere stereotypical look at the most famous monsters and saints, heroes and villains. Instead of connecting historical and geographical knowledge to generate deeper understanding of development processes, history lessons are quite often reduced to watching themed documentaries, writing about random topics without context, showing “old-fashioned” pictures and reading historical adventure fiction. The argument is that general knowledge can be “looked up”.
My experience, however, is that if we do not teach the basics anymore, students will not know what to look for. The inherent danger of that lack of context is vulnerability to naive acceptance of “alternative” facts. If we ask students to discuss and interpret something they do not know anything about, they are lost in an ocean of information they can’t relate to. More often than not, the “debate” turns into mere speculation or fantasy argumentation based on personal history and parental beliefs.
The result is a fragmentary understanding of the causes and effects of developments, and difficulties to see history as a sequence in time, and a simultaneous global process. I guess all history teachers have their moments when they realise how little knowledge and understanding can be taken for granted without thorough engagement and dialogue with the students.
I remember correcting tests once in a staff meeting (secretly) and giving myself away by laughing out in loud frustration when reading the answer to the question:
“In what way did communication improve in Ancient Rome?”
One student, who obviously had not listened to the lessons or studied at home, thought he could improvise an answer and wrote:
“They invented aeroplanes and that was good for transportation.”
On a more serious note, history helps us explain to students what happens in the world today, and why it is worrying. It helps students see patterns, characteristics of successful or failing societies, and the impact of strong personalities on the course of history. Comparing a person to Hitler has become a general insult, a way to express utter disgust for the methods used to reach power, but who can still explain properly what were the social and economic causes for his rise, and how he used fear and propaganda to achieve his goals?
To be able to establish an idea of timelines, cause-and-effect-chains, biographical information, and connections between different events, countries, and topics, we need overviews of global history.
We need reference books that offer structured information, and that refer back to different earlier sections, thus putting them into a wider context, adding quotes, primary sources, major events, and relationships between diverse historical questions over time and geographical borders. We need history books that look at ideas and people, in all parts of the world, and from different perspectives. And we need explanations in straightforward language, with as little regional bias as possible.
This book offers just that: an introduction to world history in clear layout. It is not a book for scholars, and there is plenty of detail left out, but it is a highly necessary book nonetheless. It is a first step to “real” history. A first step to learn about the events that demagogues like to quote out of context, a first step to an overview of humankind’s mistakes that should not be repeated. A first step to learn about fights against oppression, for civil rights, and for democracies. And a first step to learn about dictatorship and propaganda.
It is an excellent book for students to consult, in order to have a knowledge basis to start from when they are faced with politicians who work with power play, denunciation, spreading of fear and demagoguery.
We study history to learn from the past, for a better future. This is an excellent way to start, with an appealing modern design.
September 26, 2016
Originally Reviewed or YA Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yanonfi...
This book attempts to serve as a non-exhaustive world history primer, with an eye-catching cover and plenty of threaded imagery to enhance the experience.
Disclaimer: This reviewer’s grasp on history is fairly weak. After reading The Literature Book from this same topic-encompassing series and finding it accurate (albeit selective), I requested this one in hopes of filling in the many gaps in my comprehension of World History.
What I Liked:
The breakup of dense text is handled superbly. The format is engaging and the visual aids are frequent—alternating between stylized duo-chromatic images, flow charts, extracted quotes, and full color pictures of actual artwork and existing location photography.
Note: The History Book exclusively uses the religio-culturally neutral terms BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era.)
The first 30 pages were something of an overview dedicated to pre-recorded history. The compilers of this book do at least own up to the fact that history so far removed has more uncertain variables, and has been often subject to overhaul as new information is uncovered and the scientific community is forced to revise their understanding.
"The narrative of the distant human past is under constant revision as new discoveries and research...its findings frequently disputed…create radical shifts in perspective."
What Didn’t Work For Me:
-Despite the overall visual appeal, there were no maps included to show areas mentioned or the geographical boundaries of whatever empire was being discussed. I also regret that there weren’t any cues offered for proper name pronunciations. Stylistic oversights, perhaps… and ultimately the least of my lingering concerns.
-Just as with The Literature Book, there aren't any sources or alternate research opinions cited anywhere. It was more of an annoyance when I had to verify the occasional unfamiliar factoid that felt subjective or suspect when the topic was literature. (Also aggrieving that the sci-fi and fantasy genres were barely worth a passing mention, but I’m trying not to be bitter.) With this history book, it became a work of tedium that steadily unraveled my trust in the compiler’s intentions.
Contributors ARE listed (seven in all), and their qualifications given brief biography on the back flap and at the front immediately following the copyright page. A Dr. Fiona Coward is listed as “Senior Lecturer in Archaeology and Anthropology Research at Bournemouth University, UK.” And the other six contributors are listed as writers—only two of which they refer to as historians, and none of which are presented alongside their education credentials.
-Unfortunately, my concern over this lack of sources and vetted credentials was exacerbated by the frequent usage of emotionally charged adjectives. It’s one thing to summarize a historical figure or event in an accessible manner. It’s quite another to essentially tell readers how they should FEEL about said figure and/or event. (See example of this in my next point.) These early observations led to a lot of fact-verifying on my part, and the suspicion that readers should take everything with a grain of coarse sea salt.
-On page 70, I happened upon something that startled me. A blatant inaccuracy I only caught because I had enough familiarity with this particular little piece of history and with the Jewish faith. I am copying the problematic section word for word:
----------------
JUDAH DEFIES THE ASSYRIANS
(c. 700 BCE)
In the 9th century BCE, the Hebrew state of Judah (west of the Dead Sea) was part of the large Assyrian empire. In the 8th century, the Judaean ruler Hezekiah refused to pay tribute to the king of the Assyrians. The Assyrian king, Sennacherib, laid siege to Jerusalem (an event described in the Bible), but the Judaeans resisted their mighty enemies, who failed to take the city. Although this was a relatively small setback for Assyria, it was a triumph for the Judaeans, who attributed their victory to Yahweh. This was a major factor in the Hebrew peoples’ adoption of monotheistic religion soon after.
-----------------
I consulted with an adjunct professor friend of mine (who both reads and translates Hebrew) just to make sure I wasn’t mistaken or overreacting. She was also alarmed, and felt this section indicative of vast oversimplification and potentially biased presentation. She also found more amiss with it than I had initially:
*Judah did not become a vassal of Assyria until 730ish (around when Israel fell), not in the 9th cent (800-899), as the article says.
*More importantly, Judah/Israel had been monotheistic for a long time before Hezekiah. Even most liberal scholars will say they became fully monotheistic around the time of King David (~1000 BCE).
Reputable sources should always present other viewpoints, but unfortunately, The History Book’s presentation gives the idea that theirs is the only view. And at this point, I lost a tremendous amount of faith in the accuracy of anything I’d already ingested. With my limited background, there was little or no chance of me picking up on similar discrepancies in sections covering the Roman Empire, or the Chinese Dynasties… And doing a line-by-line fact check from there on out didn’t feel like an efficient use of my time. Worse still, I was afraid of how much I might have to later unlearn.
So I decided to cease intent study and instead browse through the rest for events I’d like to later look up from more neutral material containing cited sources. In doing so, I inadvertently made one other noteworthy observation…
- On page 40 begins a 2-page overview on the origins of Buddhism (500 BCE) ending with a bio on its founder, Siddartha Guatama. It is the first instance in this book in which a still-existing religion is presented. The next time a comparable segment occurs isn’t until page 78 when we are given a 4-page dedication to Muhammad and the rise of Islam (610 CE.) Why these two are granted such attention and other major religions are glossed over or excluded is perplexing. Abraham receives no bio and Judaism seems overlooked, Christianity is mentioned in relation to its persecution and then rise amid the Roman Empire, but Jesus has no bio. (Neither Abraham nor Jesus appear at all in this book’s index.) Confucius’ life more or less overlapped that of Buddha’s, yet he receives only a 2-sentence footnote on page 57. I won’t even speculate on the reasoning behind this imbalance.
As a tool for explaining historical revisionism and academic bias to young adults, this book holds interesting potential. But as an actual history book, I’m afraid I can’t recommend it in good conscience.
This book attempts to serve as a non-exhaustive world history primer, with an eye-catching cover and plenty of threaded imagery to enhance the experience.
Disclaimer: This reviewer’s grasp on history is fairly weak. After reading The Literature Book from this same topic-encompassing series and finding it accurate (albeit selective), I requested this one in hopes of filling in the many gaps in my comprehension of World History.
What I Liked:
The breakup of dense text is handled superbly. The format is engaging and the visual aids are frequent—alternating between stylized duo-chromatic images, flow charts, extracted quotes, and full color pictures of actual artwork and existing location photography.
Note: The History Book exclusively uses the religio-culturally neutral terms BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era.)
The first 30 pages were something of an overview dedicated to pre-recorded history. The compilers of this book do at least own up to the fact that history so far removed has more uncertain variables, and has been often subject to overhaul as new information is uncovered and the scientific community is forced to revise their understanding.
"The narrative of the distant human past is under constant revision as new discoveries and research...its findings frequently disputed…create radical shifts in perspective."
What Didn’t Work For Me:
-Despite the overall visual appeal, there were no maps included to show areas mentioned or the geographical boundaries of whatever empire was being discussed. I also regret that there weren’t any cues offered for proper name pronunciations. Stylistic oversights, perhaps… and ultimately the least of my lingering concerns.
-Just as with The Literature Book, there aren't any sources or alternate research opinions cited anywhere. It was more of an annoyance when I had to verify the occasional unfamiliar factoid that felt subjective or suspect when the topic was literature. (Also aggrieving that the sci-fi and fantasy genres were barely worth a passing mention, but I’m trying not to be bitter.) With this history book, it became a work of tedium that steadily unraveled my trust in the compiler’s intentions.
Contributors ARE listed (seven in all), and their qualifications given brief biography on the back flap and at the front immediately following the copyright page. A Dr. Fiona Coward is listed as “Senior Lecturer in Archaeology and Anthropology Research at Bournemouth University, UK.” And the other six contributors are listed as writers—only two of which they refer to as historians, and none of which are presented alongside their education credentials.
-Unfortunately, my concern over this lack of sources and vetted credentials was exacerbated by the frequent usage of emotionally charged adjectives. It’s one thing to summarize a historical figure or event in an accessible manner. It’s quite another to essentially tell readers how they should FEEL about said figure and/or event. (See example of this in my next point.) These early observations led to a lot of fact-verifying on my part, and the suspicion that readers should take everything with a grain of coarse sea salt.
-On page 70, I happened upon something that startled me. A blatant inaccuracy I only caught because I had enough familiarity with this particular little piece of history and with the Jewish faith. I am copying the problematic section word for word:
----------------
JUDAH DEFIES THE ASSYRIANS
(c. 700 BCE)
In the 9th century BCE, the Hebrew state of Judah (west of the Dead Sea) was part of the large Assyrian empire. In the 8th century, the Judaean ruler Hezekiah refused to pay tribute to the king of the Assyrians. The Assyrian king, Sennacherib, laid siege to Jerusalem (an event described in the Bible), but the Judaeans resisted their mighty enemies, who failed to take the city. Although this was a relatively small setback for Assyria, it was a triumph for the Judaeans, who attributed their victory to Yahweh. This was a major factor in the Hebrew peoples’ adoption of monotheistic religion soon after.
-----------------
I consulted with an adjunct professor friend of mine (who both reads and translates Hebrew) just to make sure I wasn’t mistaken or overreacting. She was also alarmed, and felt this section indicative of vast oversimplification and potentially biased presentation. She also found more amiss with it than I had initially:
*Judah did not become a vassal of Assyria until 730ish (around when Israel fell), not in the 9th cent (800-899), as the article says.
*More importantly, Judah/Israel had been monotheistic for a long time before Hezekiah. Even most liberal scholars will say they became fully monotheistic around the time of King David (~1000 BCE).
Reputable sources should always present other viewpoints, but unfortunately, The History Book’s presentation gives the idea that theirs is the only view. And at this point, I lost a tremendous amount of faith in the accuracy of anything I’d already ingested. With my limited background, there was little or no chance of me picking up on similar discrepancies in sections covering the Roman Empire, or the Chinese Dynasties… And doing a line-by-line fact check from there on out didn’t feel like an efficient use of my time. Worse still, I was afraid of how much I might have to later unlearn.
So I decided to cease intent study and instead browse through the rest for events I’d like to later look up from more neutral material containing cited sources. In doing so, I inadvertently made one other noteworthy observation…
- On page 40 begins a 2-page overview on the origins of Buddhism (500 BCE) ending with a bio on its founder, Siddartha Guatama. It is the first instance in this book in which a still-existing religion is presented. The next time a comparable segment occurs isn’t until page 78 when we are given a 4-page dedication to Muhammad and the rise of Islam (610 CE.) Why these two are granted such attention and other major religions are glossed over or excluded is perplexing. Abraham receives no bio and Judaism seems overlooked, Christianity is mentioned in relation to its persecution and then rise amid the Roman Empire, but Jesus has no bio. (Neither Abraham nor Jesus appear at all in this book’s index.) Confucius’ life more or less overlapped that of Buddha’s, yet he receives only a 2-sentence footnote on page 57. I won’t even speculate on the reasoning behind this imbalance.
As a tool for explaining historical revisionism and academic bias to young adults, this book holds interesting potential. But as an actual history book, I’m afraid I can’t recommend it in good conscience.
January 25, 2021
Από μικρό παιδί, είχα ένα πάθος για τα βιβλία που παρέχουν συμπυκνωμένη και εκλαϊκευμένη γνώση. Δεν ξέρω αν ήταν ένα φιλαναγνωσιακό φετίχ ή το κυνήγι μιας ψυχαναγκαστικής ευρυμάθειας, αλλά άτλαντες, αλμανάκ πάσης φύσης, λευκώματα, ακόμη και καζαμίες, ακόμη και σήμερα μου προκαλούν ένα σκίρτημα, μόνο που πλέον ενεργώ περισσότερο ως συλλέκτης παρά ως αναγνώστης. Στη συγκεκριμένη περίπτωση πάντως ακολούθησα τη δεύτερη ατραπό. Εδώ λοιπόν έχουμε ένα από τα βιβλία μιας επιτυχημένης (στο εξωτερικό τουλάχιστον σειράς) τα οποία θεραπεύουν κάθε φορά έναν συγκεκριμένο τομέα (λογοτεχνία, επιστήμες, φιλοσοφία, κ.ο.κ.).
Σε μια πραγματικά πολυτελή έκδοση που θα στοιχημάτιζες ότι θα κόστιζε τα διπλά, μια επιστημονική ομάδα καυχιέται ότι καλύπτει ακροθιγώς όλη την πολυδαίδαλη πορεία του ανθρώπου στη Γη. Προφανώς εδώ ξεπηδάει κάθε είδους κλισέ του τύπου «η ιστοριογραφία ποτέ δεν είναι απολύτως αντικειμενική» μπλα μπλα και όντως ισχύει εν μέρει. Επίσης, η εθνικότητα της επιστημονικής ομάδας του συγκεκριμένου πονήματος επηρεάζει σαφώς το ποια γεγονότα κάθε περιόδου κρίνονται σημαντικά για το παγκόσμιο στερέωμα. Η προσπάθεια όμως είναι αξιοπρεπέστατη, καλύπτει πολλές πτυχές (πολεμική, κοινωνική, πολιτική, οικονομική), ενώ και τα σχόλια τις περισσότερες φορές είναι ιδιαίτερα προσεγμένα αν και λίγο επιτηδευμένα ουδέτερα.
Δεν απευθύνεται σίγουρα σε όσους στερούνται βασικές ιστορικές γνώσεις, αφού αυτού του είδους �� κατακερματισμένη γνώση προϋποθέτει ένα στοιχειώδες υπόβαθρο. Δεν ξέρω αν θεωρείται καλό ζέσταμα για όσους συμμετέχουν σε τηλεπαιχνίδια γνώσεων, αποτελεί όμως ένα πρώτης τάξεως φρεσκάρισμα γνώσεω�� που «νομίζαμε ότι είχαμε αλλά έχουμε ξεχάσει» και κλείνοντάς το, σίγουρα σου απομένει μια αρκούντως σφαιρική εικόνα από το μέχρι σήμερα ανθρώπινο αποτύπωμα στον πλανήτη.
Σε μια πραγματικά πολυτελή έκδοση που θα στοιχημάτιζες ότι θα κόστιζε τα διπλά, μια επιστημονική ομάδα καυχιέται ότι καλύπτει ακροθιγώς όλη την πολυδαίδαλη πορεία του ανθρώπου στη Γη. Προφανώς εδώ ξεπηδάει κάθε είδους κλισέ του τύπου «η ιστοριογραφία ποτέ δεν είναι απολύτως αντικειμενική» μπλα μπλα και όντως ισχύει εν μέρει. Επίσης, η εθνικότητα της επιστημονικής ομάδας του συγκεκριμένου πονήματος επηρεάζει σαφώς το ποια γεγονότα κάθε περιόδου κρίνονται σημαντικά για το παγκόσμιο στερέωμα. Η προσπάθεια όμως είναι αξιοπρεπέστατη, καλύπτει πολλές πτυχές (πολεμική, κοινωνική, πολιτική, οικονομική), ενώ και τα σχόλια τις περισσότερες φορές είναι ιδιαίτερα προσεγμένα αν και λίγο επιτηδευμένα ουδέτερα.
Δεν απευθύνεται σίγουρα σε όσους στερούνται βασικές ιστορικές γνώσεις, αφού αυτού του είδους �� κατακερματισμένη γνώση προϋποθέτει ένα στοιχειώδες υπόβαθρο. Δεν ξέρω αν θεωρείται καλό ζέσταμα για όσους συμμετέχουν σε τηλεπαιχνίδια γνώσεων, αποτελεί όμως ένα πρώτης τάξεως φρεσκάρισμα γνώσεω�� που «νομίζαμε ότι είχαμε αλλά έχουμε ξεχάσει» και κλείνοντάς το, σίγουρα σου απομένει μια αρκούντως σφαιρική εικόνα από το μέχρι σήμερα ανθρώπινο αποτύπωμα στον πλανήτη.
June 10, 2023
History has been my favorite subject from gradeschool to college.
This was summarized and simplified.
But obviously, not all historical events were mentioned or else this book would've been much heavier.
This was summarized and simplified.
But obviously, not all historical events were mentioned or else this book would've been much heavier.
April 26, 2020
The lack of information on the Armenian Genocide is disappointing.
March 26, 2023
كتاب دسم ومفيد جدا. يلخص أهم الأحداث خلال الثلاثة آلاف عام الماضية من تاريخ البشرية.
Read
October 26, 2024School taught me to hate history. This book made me fall in love with history.
I used to see history as a boring subject that filled with memorizing dates, names, and places. But this book is something else. It portrayed history as a long continuing story filled with interrelated events, strong characters, and memorable places that you wanna go to just to see the remains of the story.
Some experts or history geek may say that this book only gives you the scratch of history, but well that's what it claimed! Big Ideas Simply Explained! This book successfully gives us the bold base line of our giant history from human origins to modern times in such a fascinating way. A total great start for someone who just falls in love with history!
I used to see history as a boring subject that filled with memorizing dates, names, and places. But this book is something else. It portrayed history as a long continuing story filled with interrelated events, strong characters, and memorable places that you wanna go to just to see the remains of the story.
Some experts or history geek may say that this book only gives you the scratch of history, but well that's what it claimed! Big Ideas Simply Explained! This book successfully gives us the bold base line of our giant history from human origins to modern times in such a fascinating way. A total great start for someone who just falls in love with history!
October 23, 2016
When you are ambitious enough to write a history book encompassing everything from 200,000 years ago until the present day, you must determine what to include and what to leave out. The author of "The History Book" concentrated on events that had the most impact on the development (or demise) of different civilizations throughout the world.
I can't say enough about how the book was composed. Each section of the book lays out a timeline of dates and events covered during that period. Each event is then covered in a sub-section, which bullet points things that happened in history before and after the event being discussed. To achieve greater understanding with a minimum of words, diagrams are provided which detail how the event came to pass (using early humans as an example: "Foraging lifestyles rely on hunting/gathering" led to "Humans develop an intimate knowledge of animal and plant species" led to "Beliefs and practices emphasizing connectedness and communication start to develop" resulting in "The first examples of art, such as the cave paintings of Altamira, appear").
The book is an easy read, giving just enough information to understand without overloading you with every little fact. Sub-sections are usually no more than a few pages, enabling the reader to be able to set the book down and easily pick it back up at a later time. The author also does a good job staying in the middle and not choosing sides during discussions on religion and political systems.
I alternate between my Kindle Fire and Paperwhite. It was impossible to read the timelines on the Paperwhite; even though the Fire is only slightly bigger, it was enough to overcome the fine print, and I found I enjoyed the colored pictures and diagrams on the Fire as opposed to the black-and-white displays on the Paperwhite.
Basically, this is a good reference book that will give you an interesting overview on major events in history.
I can't say enough about how the book was composed. Each section of the book lays out a timeline of dates and events covered during that period. Each event is then covered in a sub-section, which bullet points things that happened in history before and after the event being discussed. To achieve greater understanding with a minimum of words, diagrams are provided which detail how the event came to pass (using early humans as an example: "Foraging lifestyles rely on hunting/gathering" led to "Humans develop an intimate knowledge of animal and plant species" led to "Beliefs and practices emphasizing connectedness and communication start to develop" resulting in "The first examples of art, such as the cave paintings of Altamira, appear").
The book is an easy read, giving just enough information to understand without overloading you with every little fact. Sub-sections are usually no more than a few pages, enabling the reader to be able to set the book down and easily pick it back up at a later time. The author also does a good job staying in the middle and not choosing sides during discussions on religion and political systems.
I alternate between my Kindle Fire and Paperwhite. It was impossible to read the timelines on the Paperwhite; even though the Fire is only slightly bigger, it was enough to overcome the fine print, and I found I enjoyed the colored pictures and diagrams on the Fire as opposed to the black-and-white displays on the Paperwhite.
Basically, this is a good reference book that will give you an interesting overview on major events in history.
November 28, 2020
Από μικρό παιδί είχα ένα πάθος για τα βιβλία που παρέχουν συμπυκνωμένη και εκλαϊκευμένη γνώση. Δεν ξέρω αν ήταν ένα φιλαναγνωσιακό φετίχ ή το κυνήγι μιας ψυχαναγκαστικής ευρυμάθειας, αλλά άτλαντες, αλμανάκ πάσης φύσης, λευκώματα, ακόμη και καζαμίες, ακόμη και σήμερα μου προκαλούν ένα σκίρτημα, μόνο που πλέον ενεργώ περισσότερο ως συλλέκτης παρά ως αναγνώστης. Στη συγκεκριμένη περίπτωση πάντως ακολούθησα τη δεύτερη ατραπό. Εδώ λοιπόν έχουμε ένα από τα βιβλία μιας επιτυχημένης (στο εξωτερικό τουλάχιστον σειράς) τα οποία θεραπεύουν κάθε φορά έναν συγκεκριμένο τομέα (λογοτεχνία, επιστήμες, φιλοσοφία, κ.ο.κ.).
Σε μια πραγματικά πολυτελή έκδοση που θα στοιχημάτιζες ότι θα κόστιζε τα διπλά, μια επιστημονική ομάδα καυχιέται ότι καλύπτει ακροθιγώς όλη την πολυδαίδαλη πορεία του ανθρώπου στη Γη. Προφανώς εδώ ξεπηδάει κάθε είδους κλισέ του τύπου «η ιστοριογραφία ποτέ δεν είναι απολύτως αντικειμενική» μπλα μπλα και όντως ισχύει εν μέρει. Επίσης, η εθνικότητα της επιστημονικής ομάδας του συγκεκριμένου πονήματος επηρεάζει σαφώς το ποια γεγονότα κάθε περιόδου κρίνονται σημαντικά για το παγκόσμιο στερέωμα. Η προσπάθεια όμως είναι αξιοπρεπέστατη, καλύπτει πολλές πτυχές (πολεμική, κοινωνική, πολιτική, οικονομική), ενώ και τα σχόλια τις περισσότερες φορές είναι ιδιαίτερα προσεγμένα αν και λίγο επιτηδευμένα ουδέτερα.
Δεν απευθύνεται σίγουρα σε όσους στερούνται βασικές ιστορικές γνώσεις, αφού αυτού του είδους η κατακερματισμένη γνώση προϋποθέτει ένα στοιχειώδες υπόβαθρο. Δεν ξέρω αν θεωρείται καλό ζέσταμα για όσους συμμετέχουν σε τηλεπαιχνίδια γνώσεων, αποτελεί όμως ένα πρώτης τάξεως φρεσκάρισμα γνώσεων που «νομίζαμε ότι είχαμε αλλά έχουμε ξεχάσει» και κλείνοντάς το, σίγουρα σου απομένει μια αρκούντως σφαιρική εικόνα από το μέχρι σήμερα ανθρώπινο αποτύπωμα στον πλανήτη.
Σε μια πραγματικά πολυτελή έκδοση που θα στοιχημάτιζες ότι θα κόστιζε τα διπλά, μια επιστημονική ομάδα καυχιέται ότι καλύπτει ακροθιγώς όλη την πολυδαίδαλη πορεία του ανθρώπου στη Γη. Προφανώς εδώ ξεπηδάει κάθε είδους κλισέ του τύπου «η ιστοριογραφία ποτέ δεν είναι απολύτως αντικειμενική» μπλα μπλα και όντως ισχύει εν μέρει. Επίσης, η εθνικότητα της επιστημονικής ομάδας του συγκεκριμένου πονήματος επηρεάζει σαφώς το ποια γεγονότα κάθε περιόδου κρίνονται σημαντικά για το παγκόσμιο στερέωμα. Η προσπάθεια όμως είναι αξιοπρεπέστατη, καλύπτει πολλές πτυχές (πολεμική, κοινωνική, πολιτική, οικονομική), ενώ και τα σχόλια τις περισσότερες φορές είναι ιδιαίτερα προσεγμένα αν και λίγο επιτηδευμένα ουδέτερα.
Δεν απευθύνεται σίγουρα σε όσους στερούνται βασικές ιστορικές γνώσεις, αφού αυτού του είδους η κατακερματισμένη γνώση προϋποθέτει ένα στοιχειώδες υπόβαθρο. Δεν ξέρω αν θεωρείται καλό ζέσταμα για όσους συμμετέχουν σε τηλεπαιχνίδια γνώσεων, αποτελεί όμως ένα πρώτης τάξεως φρεσκάρισμα γνώσεων που «νομίζαμε ότι είχαμε αλλά έχουμε ξεχάσει» και κλείνοντάς το, σίγουρα σου απομένει μια αρκούντως σφαιρική εικόνα από το μέχρι σήμερα ανθρώπινο αποτύπωμα στον πλανήτη.
July 17, 2022
A very well-written book on World History. Not only do the authors present a non-partisan viewpoint, but they also focus on the diversity of the past. It encompasses the stories of emperors, revolutionary scientists, politicians, warriors, sailors, and conquerors.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read that enlarged my general knowledge.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read that enlarged my general knowledge.
July 11, 2022
What I like most about this book is that the authors do not go too much into detail and present briefly major historical events in chronological order so that the reader has an overview of global history. Indeed, there were times when I needed some information from the internet to understand some ideas but, overall, the collection of books is a great job! I also read the one about the economy, which just raised my curiosity and made me wonder.
May 22, 2025
سفر زاخر بالاحداث المفصلية في تاريخ البشرية
August 28, 2021
4,5/5
No sé prácticamente nada de historia, por ello mismo decidí leer este libro. Sé que no estoy muy cualificada para calificarlo, pero aún así lo haré. Me parece que la información estaba muy bien respaldada por el contenido visual; además, los colores, mapas conceptuales, introducciones, etc. han estado en su punto. Mi única queja sería que al hablar de tantos temas perdía el hilo de las guerras y situaciones de cada país, bien podría echarle la culpa a mi incapacidad de memorización, ya que había cajitas de contenido donde te explicaba el contexto.
Estoy deseando leer los otros libros de esta colección.
No sé prácticamente nada de historia, por ello mismo decidí leer este libro. Sé que no estoy muy cualificada para calificarlo, pero aún así lo haré. Me parece que la información estaba muy bien respaldada por el contenido visual; además, los colores, mapas conceptuales, introducciones, etc. han estado en su punto. Mi única queja sería que al hablar de tantos temas perdía el hilo de las guerras y situaciones de cada país, bien podría echarle la culpa a mi incapacidad de memorización, ya que había cajitas de contenido donde te explicaba el contexto.
Estoy deseando leer los otros libros de esta colección.
November 25, 2017
A very well done book covering as stated the big ideas throughout history. Events, people, reasons all laid out in a easy to follow and impactful, way with great illustrations. A must for anyone to bone up on world history and the why behind it all.
August 21, 2018
With beautiful illustrations, infographics, and timelines, The History Book is a fascinating journey from the dawn of civilization to the lightning-paced culture of today.
July 23, 2023
Muy buena opción para quienes conocer de Historia. No es una lectura ligera pero si agradable para quien esté interesado en aprender y llenar vacios cronológicos o onceptuales de la historia.
November 17, 2025
- daľšia kniha z edície Veľké myšlienky
- pre milovníkov histórie a dejín
- chronologický prehľad
- prehľadný obsah
- bohaté spracovanie
- edukatívny štýl
- detailné informácie
Ak máte radi dejiny, premyslené kontexty a vizuálne prehľadné knihy, táto encyklopédia si vás získa hneď po prvých stranách. Je súčasťou známej série Veľké myšlienky, ktorá sprístupňuje zložité témy v prehľadnej, vizuálne atraktívnej a odbornými faktami nabitej forme.
Už na prvý pohľad pôsobí ako dokonalejšia učebnica dejepisu – prehľadná, krásne graficky spracovaná a plná časových osí, máp, portrétov a prepojení medzi civilizáciami. Každá kapitola ponúka nielen historické fakty, ale aj hlbší pohľad na myšlienky, ktoré formovali svet od zrodu prvých civilizácií cez vznik ríš, náboženstiev, revolúcií až po moderné dejiny a globalizáciu.
Autori dokázali zachytiť kontinuitu vývoja ľudskej spoločnosti spôsobom, ktorý pôsobí prístupne aj pre laikov, no zároveň má čo ponúknuť aj tým, ktorí už históriu milujú a chcú ísť viac do hĺbky. Každá téma je spracovaná detailne, ale nie nudne. Všetko je doplnené o vizuálne schémy, ktoré pomáhajú pochopiť súvislosti medzi udalosťami.
Je to presne ten typ knihy, na ktorom si zgustnú všetci milovníci poznania, detailov a krásne spracovaných encyklopedických diel. Skvelá voľba nielen do knižnice, ale aj ako darček pre každého, kto rád spája vedomosti s estetikou.
- pre milovníkov histórie a dejín
- chronologický prehľad
- prehľadný obsah
- bohaté spracovanie
- edukatívny štýl
- detailné informácie
Ak máte radi dejiny, premyslené kontexty a vizuálne prehľadné knihy, táto encyklopédia si vás získa hneď po prvých stranách. Je súčasťou známej série Veľké myšlienky, ktorá sprístupňuje zložité témy v prehľadnej, vizuálne atraktívnej a odbornými faktami nabitej forme.
Už na prvý pohľad pôsobí ako dokonalejšia učebnica dejepisu – prehľadná, krásne graficky spracovaná a plná časových osí, máp, portrétov a prepojení medzi civilizáciami. Každá kapitola ponúka nielen historické fakty, ale aj hlbší pohľad na myšlienky, ktoré formovali svet od zrodu prvých civilizácií cez vznik ríš, náboženstiev, revolúcií až po moderné dejiny a globalizáciu.
Autori dokázali zachytiť kontinuitu vývoja ľudskej spoločnosti spôsobom, ktorý pôsobí prístupne aj pre laikov, no zároveň má čo ponúknuť aj tým, ktorí už históriu milujú a chcú ísť viac do hĺbky. Každá téma je spracovaná detailne, ale nie nudne. Všetko je doplnené o vizuálne schémy, ktoré pomáhajú pochopiť súvislosti medzi udalosťami.
Je to presne ten typ knihy, na ktorom si zgustnú všetci milovníci poznania, detailov a krásne spracovaných encyklopedických diel. Skvelá voľba nielen do knižnice, ale aj ako darček pre každého, kto rád spája vedomosti s estetikou.
September 8, 2017
This is an entertaining read. I liked how it covers major events in history from all corners of the earth. Most of my knowledge of history is from US history and Western Civ, so it was cool to read about major events in Asian or Middle Eastern history. A good read for any history lovers out there.
November 21, 2017
It took me a month of intermittent reading to finish this book, but it covers a lot of ground. I very much like the DK series "Big Ideas Simply Explained" in how clearly they are structured and how they cross reference chapters that belong together or complement each other.
March 21, 2017
yummy... my portion of filings from the history pie. I've always been a fan of DK publishing for as long as I can remember.
December 8, 2020
Letztens habe ich meine Bücherregale durchgesehen und dabei sechs Bücher wieder entdeckt, die mich eine ganze Zeit lang sehr begeistert haben. Sie haben mich nicht nur begeistert, sondern auch smarter gemacht.
Ich hatte beim Lesen richtige “Aha-Erlebnisse” und möchte nun diese sechs Bücher mit euch teilen.
Neugier ist der Beginn allen Lernens.
– Boris Jäger
Der DK Verlag hat eine ganze Reihe unter der Kategorie “Big Ideas” an Büchern rund um das Thema Wissen. Egal zu welchem Themengebiet, hier findet man bestimmt ein Buch, welches den Wissensdurst stillen möchte.
Ich habe ja letztes Jahr herausgefunden, dass ich ein sogenannter Scanner-Typ bin und somit mich für sehr vieles interessiere und auch schnell viel neues lernen möchte. Dafür sind diese Bücher ideal!
Die sechs Themengebiete, die mich also aktuell am meisten interessieren sind: Psychologie, Philosophie, Wissenschaft, Astronomie, Geschichte und wie könnte es anders sein; Literatur.
Knowledge is the most valuable skill you can sell.
– Barack Obama
Wissenschaft ist nur etwas für Wenige? Ganz sicher nicht! Die menschliche Geschichte ist eine Geschichte des Forschens. Wir haben schon immer versucht, auf alles eine Antwort zu finden. „Das Wissenschaftsbuch“ liefert einen ergreifenden Überblick über die Geschichte und die Entwicklung der Naturwissenschaften.
Von ihren Anfängen 600 v. Chr. über die Erweiterung unseres Horizonts von 1700 bis 1800 bis hin zu vertieften neuen Erkenntnissen der letzten 50 Jahre werden die wichtigsten Theorien der Physik, Chemie, Biologie und Geowissenschaft anschaulich vorgestellt. Dabei wird auf spannungsreiche Art und Weise auf Experimente und Beobachtungen eingegangen. Sie führten schließlich zu gewaltigen neuen Erkenntnissen!
In diesem innovativen Astronomie-Buch werden astronomische Theorien, die Geschichte der Raumfahrt und über 100 zentrale Ideen der Astronomie galaktisch-gut erklärt. Schritt-für-Schritt-Diagramme, witzige Illustrationen und tolle Fotografien visualisieren komplexe Sachverhalte anschaulich und verständlich. Außerdem machen Sie Bekanntschaft mit den berühmtesten Wissenschaftlern des Universums! Einsteins Relativitätstheorie durchschauen, die Geheimnisse schwarzer Löcher ergründen, den Urknall verstehen und die Biografie von Stephen Hawking kennen lernen: Jeder, der die Wissenschaft hinter Sternen, Planeten oder dem Sonnensystem begreifen will, braucht dieses ausgezeichnete Astronomie-Buch. Es blickt in den Himmel und lädt dazu ein, den Weltraum genau zu betrachten und gedanklich auf der Milchstraße spazieren zu gehen.
Dieses umfassende Nachschlagewerk präsentiert die größten Meisterwerke, Romanhelden und Schriftsteller der Literaturgeschichte – von Fitzgeralds großen Gatsby über Goethes Faust bis zu Shelleys Frankenstein.
Welche Bedeutung hat der weiße Wal in Moby-Dick? Wie funktioniert die Erzähltechnik des Bewusstseinsstroms? Und was haben Lolita und Uhrwerk Orange gemeinsam? Begeben Sie sich mit diesem Buch auf eine faszinierende Entdeckungstour durch über 100 Bücher aus aller Welt, die das literarische Leben nachhaltig geprägt haben.
Beeindruckende Abbildungen, inspirierende Autoren-Zitate und detaillierte Handlungszusammenfassungen machen Literatur greifbar. Interessante Kurzbiografien der bedeutendsten Schriftsteller und Schriftstellerinnen sowie anschauliche Erklärungen der gesellschaftlichen Hintergründe helfen außerdem dabei, die Bedeutung einzelner Literaturstücke zu vertiefen.
Warum hat die Demokratie ihren Ursprung im alten Griechenland? Wie eroberten die Spanier Süd- und Mittelamerika? Was brachte die Berliner Mauer zu Fall? In diesem Buch finden Sie die Antworten auf diese und viele weitere spannende Fragen der Weltgeschichte. Erwecken Sie die bedeutendsten historischen Augenblicke zum Leben und entdecken Sie die Faszination Geschichte hautnah!
Ob die Ermordung Julius Cäsars, Luthers Thesen von 1517 oder die Erfindung des Internets – auf diesen Seiten finden Sie die wichtigsten geschichtlichen Fakten versammelt auf den Punkt gebracht und ansprechend visualisiert durch zahlreiche Fotos, Diagramme und Piktogramme. Hier werden keinen trockenen Daten oder Jahreszahlen aufgezählt, sondern Sie erfahren auch die Hintergründe und treibenden Ideen hinter einzelnen prägenden Ereignissen der Vergangenheit.
Was ist Gerechtigkeit? Wie wissen wir, was wir wissen? Was macht ein sinnvolles Leben aus? Mit Fragen wie diesen haben sich viele Philosophen auseinandergesetzt und Ideen formuliert, die unsere Welt beeinflusst und verändert haben. Das Philosophie-Buch führt durch über 2000 Jahre philosophisches Denken und erklärt über 100 große Ideen berühmter Denker – von Platon über Heidegger bis Derrida. Chronologisch geordnete Portraits liefern Informationen zum Leben der einzelnen Philosophen und ihren Hauptwerken. Außerdem wird jede Kernthese durch übersichtliche Querverweise in einen historischen Zusammenhang gestellt. So werden beispielsweise ihre Vordenker und Schüler ersichtlich. Bekannte und unbekannte Zitate wie “Der Zweck rechtfertigt die Mittel” oder “Die Welt war nicht immer da” kombiniert mit einer unkonventionellen Gestaltung der Seiten machen Lust auf ein oft als abstrakt und komplex eingeschätztes Thema.
Was macht unsere Persönlichkeit aus, wie treffen wir Entscheidungen und wie prägt unsere Kindheit unser Verhalten? Mit diesen Fragestellungen beschäftigt sich dieses Psychologie-Buch: Über 100 wichtige psychologische Theorien und Konzepte werden hier anschaulich, innovativ und verständlich mit Illustrationen, Diagrammen und Fotografien erklärt sowie die Biografien bedeutsamer Psychologen in Porträts vorgestellt.
Die “Big Ideas” Reihe ist sehr übersichtlich aufgebaut. Man findet gleich zu Beginn ein Inhaltsverzeichnis und kann sich so auch nur mit dem Thema beschäftigen, dass einen gerade brennend interessiert.
Die Infos werden meiner Meinung nach klar und strukturiert vermittelt und man lernt auf jeder Seite viel Neues dazu. Ich hätte mir ja solche Bücher zu meiner Schulzeit gewünscht.
Welche Themengebiete interessieren euch besonders? Und bildet ihr euch darin selbst fort?
Für mich persönlich ist dies sehr wichtig, denn nur weil man die Schule oder das Studium beendet hat, heisst das nicht, dass man nicht weiter Dinge lernen kann. Alles was man mehr weiss oder vertieft, wird einen auf irgendeine Weise bestimmt weiter bringen.
RAN AN DIE BÜCHER,
Ich hatte beim Lesen richtige “Aha-Erlebnisse” und möchte nun diese sechs Bücher mit euch teilen.
Neugier ist der Beginn allen Lernens.
– Boris Jäger
Der DK Verlag hat eine ganze Reihe unter der Kategorie “Big Ideas” an Büchern rund um das Thema Wissen. Egal zu welchem Themengebiet, hier findet man bestimmt ein Buch, welches den Wissensdurst stillen möchte.
Ich habe ja letztes Jahr herausgefunden, dass ich ein sogenannter Scanner-Typ bin und somit mich für sehr vieles interessiere und auch schnell viel neues lernen möchte. Dafür sind diese Bücher ideal!
Die sechs Themengebiete, die mich also aktuell am meisten interessieren sind: Psychologie, Philosophie, Wissenschaft, Astronomie, Geschichte und wie könnte es anders sein; Literatur.
Knowledge is the most valuable skill you can sell.
– Barack Obama
Wissenschaft ist nur etwas für Wenige? Ganz sicher nicht! Die menschliche Geschichte ist eine Geschichte des Forschens. Wir haben schon immer versucht, auf alles eine Antwort zu finden. „Das Wissenschaftsbuch“ liefert einen ergreifenden Überblick über die Geschichte und die Entwicklung der Naturwissenschaften.
Von ihren Anfängen 600 v. Chr. über die Erweiterung unseres Horizonts von 1700 bis 1800 bis hin zu vertieften neuen Erkenntnissen der letzten 50 Jahre werden die wichtigsten Theorien der Physik, Chemie, Biologie und Geowissenschaft anschaulich vorgestellt. Dabei wird auf spannungsreiche Art und Weise auf Experimente und Beobachtungen eingegangen. Sie führten schließlich zu gewaltigen neuen Erkenntnissen!
In diesem innovativen Astronomie-Buch werden astronomische Theorien, die Geschichte der Raumfahrt und über 100 zentrale Ideen der Astronomie galaktisch-gut erklärt. Schritt-für-Schritt-Diagramme, witzige Illustrationen und tolle Fotografien visualisieren komplexe Sachverhalte anschaulich und verständlich. Außerdem machen Sie Bekanntschaft mit den berühmtesten Wissenschaftlern des Universums! Einsteins Relativitätstheorie durchschauen, die Geheimnisse schwarzer Löcher ergründen, den Urknall verstehen und die Biografie von Stephen Hawking kennen lernen: Jeder, der die Wissenschaft hinter Sternen, Planeten oder dem Sonnensystem begreifen will, braucht dieses ausgezeichnete Astronomie-Buch. Es blickt in den Himmel und lädt dazu ein, den Weltraum genau zu betrachten und gedanklich auf der Milchstraße spazieren zu gehen.
Dieses umfassende Nachschlagewerk präsentiert die größten Meisterwerke, Romanhelden und Schriftsteller der Literaturgeschichte – von Fitzgeralds großen Gatsby über Goethes Faust bis zu Shelleys Frankenstein.
Welche Bedeutung hat der weiße Wal in Moby-Dick? Wie funktioniert die Erzähltechnik des Bewusstseinsstroms? Und was haben Lolita und Uhrwerk Orange gemeinsam? Begeben Sie sich mit diesem Buch auf eine faszinierende Entdeckungstour durch über 100 Bücher aus aller Welt, die das literarische Leben nachhaltig geprägt haben.
Beeindruckende Abbildungen, inspirierende Autoren-Zitate und detaillierte Handlungszusammenfassungen machen Literatur greifbar. Interessante Kurzbiografien der bedeutendsten Schriftsteller und Schriftstellerinnen sowie anschauliche Erklärungen der gesellschaftlichen Hintergründe helfen außerdem dabei, die Bedeutung einzelner Literaturstücke zu vertiefen.
Warum hat die Demokratie ihren Ursprung im alten Griechenland? Wie eroberten die Spanier Süd- und Mittelamerika? Was brachte die Berliner Mauer zu Fall? In diesem Buch finden Sie die Antworten auf diese und viele weitere spannende Fragen der Weltgeschichte. Erwecken Sie die bedeutendsten historischen Augenblicke zum Leben und entdecken Sie die Faszination Geschichte hautnah!
Ob die Ermordung Julius Cäsars, Luthers Thesen von 1517 oder die Erfindung des Internets – auf diesen Seiten finden Sie die wichtigsten geschichtlichen Fakten versammelt auf den Punkt gebracht und ansprechend visualisiert durch zahlreiche Fotos, Diagramme und Piktogramme. Hier werden keinen trockenen Daten oder Jahreszahlen aufgezählt, sondern Sie erfahren auch die Hintergründe und treibenden Ideen hinter einzelnen prägenden Ereignissen der Vergangenheit.
Was ist Gerechtigkeit? Wie wissen wir, was wir wissen? Was macht ein sinnvolles Leben aus? Mit Fragen wie diesen haben sich viele Philosophen auseinandergesetzt und Ideen formuliert, die unsere Welt beeinflusst und verändert haben. Das Philosophie-Buch führt durch über 2000 Jahre philosophisches Denken und erklärt über 100 große Ideen berühmter Denker – von Platon über Heidegger bis Derrida. Chronologisch geordnete Portraits liefern Informationen zum Leben der einzelnen Philosophen und ihren Hauptwerken. Außerdem wird jede Kernthese durch übersichtliche Querverweise in einen historischen Zusammenhang gestellt. So werden beispielsweise ihre Vordenker und Schüler ersichtlich. Bekannte und unbekannte Zitate wie “Der Zweck rechtfertigt die Mittel” oder “Die Welt war nicht immer da” kombiniert mit einer unkonventionellen Gestaltung der Seiten machen Lust auf ein oft als abstrakt und komplex eingeschätztes Thema.
Was macht unsere Persönlichkeit aus, wie treffen wir Entscheidungen und wie prägt unsere Kindheit unser Verhalten? Mit diesen Fragestellungen beschäftigt sich dieses Psychologie-Buch: Über 100 wichtige psychologische Theorien und Konzepte werden hier anschaulich, innovativ und verständlich mit Illustrationen, Diagrammen und Fotografien erklärt sowie die Biografien bedeutsamer Psychologen in Porträts vorgestellt.
Die “Big Ideas” Reihe ist sehr übersichtlich aufgebaut. Man findet gleich zu Beginn ein Inhaltsverzeichnis und kann sich so auch nur mit dem Thema beschäftigen, dass einen gerade brennend interessiert.
Die Infos werden meiner Meinung nach klar und strukturiert vermittelt und man lernt auf jeder Seite viel Neues dazu. Ich hätte mir ja solche Bücher zu meiner Schulzeit gewünscht.
Welche Themengebiete interessieren euch besonders? Und bildet ihr euch darin selbst fort?
Für mich persönlich ist dies sehr wichtig, denn nur weil man die Schule oder das Studium beendet hat, heisst das nicht, dass man nicht weiter Dinge lernen kann. Alles was man mehr weiss oder vertieft, wird einen auf irgendeine Weise bestimmt weiter bringen.
RAN AN DIE BÜCHER,
July 26, 2021
A great and easy to understand overview of human history, with a lot of focus on the context of major historical events, like changes in society and events preceding it. I learned about new events I hadn't really learned about before, but more than that, the book made me understand how different historical events were connected, how they influenced the world afterwards, and why they're still relevant today. I'd also like to mention that this book does not make the mistake of focusing too centrally on European history but history from all over the world (there are areas favoured a bit more by the book, but I figure that has to do with a lack of historical records in the first place for one reason or another).
I really enjoyed reading this and generally found it a really light read in terms of focus and language, I pretty much flew through the pages. A huge recommend for anyone looking for a start into the topic of history.
I really enjoyed reading this and generally found it a really light read in terms of focus and language, I pretty much flew through the pages. A huge recommend for anyone looking for a start into the topic of history.
April 17, 2021
This one is likely one of the most difficult subjects in this series. Man's history is vast and detailed. This book does an admirable job in hitting some of the major history-shaping events.
Are some debatable? Sure. Are some missing? Sure. Are some weighed more heavily than they should be or not featured enough? Probably.
I think, however, someone looking for a jumping off point in some era of history (for me it was the late 1800s I was most interested in reviewing), can find a lot to chew on.
Are some debatable? Sure. Are some missing? Sure. Are some weighed more heavily than they should be or not featured enough? Probably.
I think, however, someone looking for a jumping off point in some era of history (for me it was the late 1800s I was most interested in reviewing), can find a lot to chew on.
May 14, 2021
A must-have world history book
Any person who wants to know the world history must read this. It succeeds in achieving its goal in the book title. It succinctly tells what we human beings have done throughout their time, across various places on the globe.
You can even get more, if you read it along with a timetable of history (I have a book like this), or prepare your own one when reading it (which is what I did). You can visualise more on what really happened across the world at any point of history, and it’s subsequent impact.
Any person who wants to know the world history must read this. It succeeds in achieving its goal in the book title. It succinctly tells what we human beings have done throughout their time, across various places on the globe.
You can even get more, if you read it along with a timetable of history (I have a book like this), or prepare your own one when reading it (which is what I did). You can visualise more on what really happened across the world at any point of history, and it’s subsequent impact.
August 22, 2016
This is the second book of the Big Ideas Simply Explained series. I really found it interesting. The first one was The Shakespeare Book. The next one on my list is The Movie Book which I will pick up at the library tomorrow.
November 26, 2020
Bigotry and prejudice against Christianity is pervasive throughout the book. It is too bad the writers could not have presented history without Christian bashing. They seemingly are ignorant of Humes error.
July 10, 2021
Bellamente ilustrado, con una buena forma gráfica de destacar referencias bibliográficas. Le falta hilar un poco los temas ya que son artículos de 2 a 4 páginas un tanto independientes abordando temas históricos. Debería ser más extenso al menos el doble de páginas.
December 5, 2023
This helped me close a number of gaps in my world history. Mainly the role and reign of far east cultures - Cambodia and Thailand, mainly. The enrichening of the western world via the silk road.
I did enjoy this volume immensely.
I did enjoy this volume immensely.
March 8, 2019
كتاب رائع جدا وكمان معلومات جديدة اول مرة اعرفها عن نشأة وأصل الانسان والزراعة .... كتاب جميل جدا انصح بقرائته شامل تاريخ الانسان منذ نشأته الى العصر الحديث وبيوضح تاثير الانسان على التاريخ
April 29, 2020
Batı merkezli insanlık tarihinin önemli başlıklarını inceleyen, derli toplu, özet, okuması keyifli bir dünya tarihi kitabı. Alfa Kitap’ın bu ansiklopedik kitap serilerini pek sevdim.
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