[.uk] Big History: From the Big Bang to the Present (ISBN 1595581960)

A Really Big Picture:
It's hard not to admire what Ms. Brown has tried to do with this book, Big History. In essence, as the subtitle to the book implies, she has tried to cover the history of the world starting with the big bang and working up through the present. By doing so, she attempts to provide a unity that is often missing from works of history, paying respect to the work done in the world of science and giving us a true "big picture." In many ways, Ms. Brown succeeds with her work. Most importantly, she opens our eyes to ideas that are often left out of typical histories. She is very cognizant of what is left to answer in her field, finishing each chapter with a section of "unanswered questions" that are quite thought-provoking and may be the best part of this work. On the other hand, this book can be little more than the broadest of overviews of historical trends. Coming in at 248 pages, one can't really expect much more considering the ground that she's trying to cover. This is not necessarily a bad thing but I have wed widely in certain areas that she discusses; in particular, as a science teacher, I'm well-versed in those subjects that touch mine: big bang theory, scientific/industrial revolution, etc. I've even read a number of the books she notes and I couldn't help but notice what's been left out of her discussion. The loss of detail in pursuit of the big picture is always a problem in books like this. Still, it is a succinct and compelling volume in many ways. Ms. Brown is clearly familiar with the latest research and lays out her global vision well. For beginners in history, this would be an excellent place to start. And it's not bad for the rest of us either.

Big Disappointment:
This book is like a high school textbook on global history with material on the big bang and evolution slapped on at the beginning. The text reads like a dry recitation of facts. I was hoping for some new insights or some new perspective, but that is not to be found here. If anything, there is an inclination towards revisionism, with some cheap shots taken at Europeans, Christianity and Catholicism. The writing is mostly pedestrian, and sometimes surprisingly poor, even devolving into tired cliches. The poor writing gets worse as the book progresses, as if the author ran out of energy, especially to revise poorly worded sentences. About 10 percent of the book is engaging in any form, and this is mostly accomplished by the facts themselves, rather than by Brown's writing. She is from Berkeley, and maybe that's why she includes among the possible explanations for mysterious drawings in South America, the possibilty that they were signals for an alien spaceship airstrip! You are better off reading separate books on the big bang, evolution and world history.

History on the wider scale:
If the world began thirteen years ago, modern industrial societies would have only existed for six seconds, says "Big History: From The Big Bang to The Present". The universe is 13.7 billion years old and "Big History: From the Big Bang to The Present" attempts to cover it all in a book that is as artistic as a novel while reducing humankind to the small spec that it is- while still granting it some dignity in an act of grand balance. Author and Professor Cynthia Stokes Brown combines so many elements and makes simply a delightful book in "Big History: From the Big Bang to the Present" and as such it has our highest recommendation for anyone with an interest of history on the wider scale or just history in general.

Outstanding:
Brown's clear, orderly and concise history of mankind is indeed a joy to read. It traces human development in a systamatic and logical manner, omitting unimportant episodes to allow anyone to quickly and correctly understand the development of our world.

It's so concise...:
...that, in addition to it, for those looking for a broad framework to understand the past, I would recommend to read the following works, whose scope is amazingly global: 1. Agrarian cultures: "Pre-industrial societies" by Patricia Crone; 2. Economy. "Power and Plenty: Trade, War, and the World Economy in the Second Millennium" by Ronald Findlay and Kevin H. O'Rourke; 3. Government: "The History of Government" by S.E. Finer; 4. Ideas: "Ideas, a History from Fire to Freud", by Peter Watson; 5. Religion: "The Phenomenon of Religion: A Thematic Approach" by Moojan Momen; and 6. War: "War in Human Civilization" by Azar Gat.