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What makes this book even better is Adas's stubborn refusal to bow to the false God of Political Correctness. Note the title of the book, "MEN" The story of technology, let's face it, is a predominantly male one. The feminist school can moan all they wish, but on the evidence of Adas's book, their protests (and there have been a few) are hollow.
Likewise, Adas is not scared to give credit where credit is due. The author sings the praises of European nations and their technology - and why not? After all, the bewildering number of inventions that emerged from the Industrial Revolution have certainly made life easier for us today. Adas does caution that the Western way has not always been the best way, but it seemed to him hypocritical to attempt to perform a demolition job on European technology and values simply to satisfy the PC brigade.
The book begins with a look at first encounters between European and Asian and African cultures during the sixteenth century. Here, before the Industrial Revolution, European explorers admired the technology of the Chinese and sought to learn from it. But even here, Adas destroys Jared Diamond's theory that geography alone was responsible for European expansion. Even at this early stage, Europeans, encouraged by their Christian faith, realised that they perceived the world differently from other cultures. Unlike other peoples, for Europeans, nature was something to be tamed, not endured. This outlook was not due to geography alone.
The next two chapters lie at the heart of Adas's thesis, and show that indeed technology played a vital role in European expansion, and in European judgements of other cultures.
Then, Adas destroys the basic contention of Marxist historians by showing that, (gasp!) Britain and France actually wanted to help the people in their colonies through their technology! Although expolitation is not denied, Adas shows that European powers were not just playing the imperial game for their own ends.
The book ends by showing how all European powers began to seriously question the worthiness of their technology during the First World War. Far from undercutting his thesis, his reasons for the ascendancy of the USA as a world power proves his basic assumption even further.
All in all, a wonderful book which has received nowhere near the attention it deserves.
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Some books give lots of facts and dates, others concentrate on opinion and discussion. This one does neither: little factual information, plenty of opinion, but leaning over backwards so far to avoid being controversial that you won't learn much.
Also bear in mind that this book is not designed to be read; it's a class book with "thought provoking" questions at the end of each chapter of the type "What do you think of....?". Another way for the author to stay non-committal.
Finally, it's expensive.
So yes, you WILL learn a lot from this book because instead of just providing a series of events, people, terms and dates to rote learn it will get you thinking about the themes of global history, and encourage you to compare, contrast and evaluate. Its also one of the few "World History" texts that isn't a Western Civilization history with a few extra chapters thrown in. It really looks at the whole world with a fresh view, including a variety of cultures and experiences. In the Classical era you'll recieve valuable insights into nomadic peoples, providing the opportunity to understand differing means of organising society and allowing worthwhile comparisons that actually enhance understanding the more well trodden ground of Greece, Rome etc. Other fascinating coverage in this vein includes chapters about migration and the spread of peoples (Africans, Slavs and Polynesians), a whole chapter on the Mongol empire and the independence and nationhood movements of Latin America. I reiterate that these other perspectives are introduced in a way which enhances the overall understanding of world history, and are certainly not arbitary "pc" insertions. The authors do not shirk from showing the rise of the west, and the positives and negatives of imperialism. However it also allows us to see the limitations, and non-inevitability of this rise.
If you insist on reading a solely factual survey text, Traditions and Encounters by Bentley and Ziegler will do a great job, however for any student or enthusiast of World History, this book will open your eyes to new perspectives and really encourage you to engage your braincells!
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From Annotated Bibliography of Learning A Living, A Guide to Planning Your Career and Finding A Job for People with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Dyslexia by Dale S. Brown