Big History

July 9, 2007
Beginning with the very origin of the universe, American Book Award–winning author Brown (Ready from Within: Septima Clark and the Civil Rights Movement
) shows that history is more than the written records of the gadfly species Homo sapiens
. In a multidisciplinary narrative subtly emphasizing the mutual impact of people and planet, Brown covers Earth’s history from the big bang through the development of life and the growth of civilization. Nice concrete details give immediacy to the most remote events: “The gold in the ring on your finder has to be more than 4.5 billion years old.” Brown’s story covers the globe, encompassing the Mongols and Vikings, Mayans and Aztecs, as well as the Islamic Empire and Europe. Brown looks at the gold rush that followed Columbus’s American voyages and the impact of chocolate, tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco and chili peppers on European habits. In a blink the Industrial Revolution and world wars lead to the new millennium. While much of the story is familiar, Brown’s writing lucidly knits each topic into a vast historical mosaic. This exciting saga crosses space and time to illustrate how humans, born of stardust, were shaped—and how they in turn shaped the world we know today. 33 b&w illus.