Asia before Europe: Economy and Civilisation of the Indian Ocean from the Rise of Islam to 17501 review K. N. Chaudhuri Cambridge University Press, 1991 Asia Before Europe K.N. Chadhuri is an economic historian whose "Asia Before Europe: Economy and Civisation of the Indian Ocean from the Rise of Islam to 1750" is a 434 page detailed study of the Indian Ocean trading network during the millenium preceding its fall under European hegemony. It further develops the ...             Europe and the Rise of Capitalism (Ideas) Blackwell Publishers, 1990 Why did massive social and economic development take place in Western Europe rather than in comparable advanced civilizations in early modern times? This issue, one of the most debated topics in modern social thought and historical scholarship, has obvious relevance to theories of social change and the problem of dynamism versus stagnation in the world today.In `Europe and the Rise of Capitalism' ...             The Modern World-System III (Studies in Social Discontinuity) (Studies in Social Discontinuity)2 reviews Immanuel Wallerstein Academic Press, 1988 What they should have taught us in high school. + Power Immanuel Wallerstein has given us an important book. This book explains how and why Great Britain emerged from the 18th century with economic hegemony. The best thing which the book does is to place free-market capitalism as a historical process, rather than as an extra-historical inevitability, ...             ReORIENT: Global Economy in the Asian Age16 reviews Andre Gunder Frank University of California Press, 1998 Fascinating, albeit incomplete + Andre Gunder Frank's Magnum Opus + How Asia Once Won (And Could Again) + A New Frame in Which to View World History             The Modern World-System I: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World-Economy in the ...3 reviews Immanuel Wallerstein Academic Press, 1980 Solid! + The manifesto of world system theory Despite having read and been impressed by other Wallerstein books, I was almost discouraged by some of the reviews that appeared here, talking about how "dry" this book is and how it is overfull of quotations and such. Ridiculous. I checked it out of a nearby research library and was quickly ...             The Colonizer's Model of the World: Geographical Diffusionism and Eurocentric History9 reviews J.M. Blaut The Guilford Press, 1993 Pops a Few European Balloons + Refuting Eurocentrism + Excellent read. This is a good critique of the assumptions made by Eurocentric historians over the years about the superiority of Europe as compared to the inferiority of the rest of the world. Blaut effectively examines and explodes each theory dispassionately but thoroughly. Finally he comes up with his own ...             Guns, Germs and Steel8 reviews Jared Diamond W W Norton & Co Inc (Np), 2005 Must read + An amazingly well done and unique perspective on the evolution of human cultures + Long, but great read! This is an excellent book and is a must read for anyone who cares about the history (and reasons why it unfolded the way it did) of the growth of civilization.             The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor166 reviews David S. Landes W. W. Norton & Company, 1999 Outstanding! + The Wealth and Poverty of Nations + Everyone should read this book Landes provides an interesting and credible explanation of the differences in income/capita (now about 400:1, about 5:1 250 years ago) between the richest and poorest nations. En route, Landes also provides a useful perspective on today's globalization debate. Most of the differential is ...             Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History (California World History Library)12 reviews David Christian University of California Press, 2005 Surprisingly interesting + Very good but not perfect + mother of al books David Christian had a great ambition with this book: to write the history of everything there has ever been. In other words, it describes not only human history but also natural history from the very first beginning. Of course, I had read this on the cover but I had not quite anticipated how ...             The Modern World-System II: Mercantilism and the Consolidation of the European World-Economy, 1600-1750 ...2 reviews Immanuel Wallerstein Academic Press, 1980 Monumental + A Power-house The central idea in this monumentally documented (220 pages of references for 200 pages of text) study is that a 'Cumulative self-sustaining change in the form of endless search for accumulation has been the leitmotiv of the capitalist world-economy since its genesis in the 16th century.' The ...             The Sources of Social Power, Vol. 2: The Rise of Classes and Nation States, 1760-19142 reviews Michael Mann Cambridge University Press, 1993 a worthy successor to Vol. 1 + An exceptional perspective for history A philosopher of history as much as a historian and a sociologist, Michael Mann focuses here on early Modernity among the Occidental Great Powers -- France, Britain, Austria, Prussia/Germany, and the USA. While an inclusion of non-Occidental powers would be enlightening, there is sufficient ...             The Lever of Riches: Technological Creativity and Economic Progress12 reviews Joel Mokyr Oxford University Press, USA, 1992 The Economics of Progress + More than a historical explination of innovation! + Great Information -- And Read the Reviews Too + Understanding the history of wealth             The European Miracle: Environments, Economies and Geopolitics in the History of Europe and Asia4 reviews Eric Jones Cambridge University Press, 2003 Explaining the past illuminates the present The European Miracle is a book I have been meaning to read for years. Having finally done so, I found it a pleasure to read, a work which explains much of the past in ways which illuminate the present. If you are looking for abstract theorising, this is not the book. If you are looking for a book ...             The Story of Civilization (11 Volume Set)11 reviews Will Durant MJF Books, 1993 Most Compelling and Interesting History Books I've Ever Read! + Most entertaining and still a good source + A FRIEND FOR 40 YEARS + masterpiece....history at its best + Fantastic!!!             The Perspective of the World: Civilization and Capitalism 15Th-18th Century, Vol. 37 reviews Fernand Braudel University of California Press, 1992 from market mechanisms to policy and history + Changes your perspective on history + A Very Great Work + The time of the world             The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community11 reviews William McNeill University Of Chicago Press, 1992 The West Rises + well worth the read + Good, but a little outdated + Somewhat outdated, but still worth while             The Wheels of Commerce (Civilization and Capitalism: 15Th-18th Century -Volume 2)10 reviews Fernand Braudel University of California Press, 1992 WOW! + A Brilliant History of Capitalism + One of the best books I will ever read + Very Annalesesque + Capitaliism, trade and globalization explained             The Decline of the West: Volume I, Form and Actuality, and Volume II, Perspectives of World-History (Form and ... Oswald Spengler See Product Description, 1932 Volume 2 - Perspectives of World History.             Civilization and Capitalism, 15th-18th Century, Vol. I: The Structure of Everyday Life (Civilization and ...11 reviews Fernand Braudel University of California Press, 1992 Encyclopedic Examination of the Seemingly Mundane + Brilliant Examination of the Birth of Capitalism + Moving in for a closer view. + The way they were + Epic             The Triumph of The West2 reviews J.M. Roberts Phoenix Press, 2001 Another great book by Roberts + Fascinating J. M. Roberts is probably the best person writing popular histories in the world today. His "History of the World" and "A History of Europe" are more recent examples of his good writing skills. But, this book is from earlier. It shows how good of a writer of history Roberts is. It is much more ...