In the Beginning: World History from Human Evolution to the First States

In the Beginning is a book about "firsts." Here are the stories of human evolution, of the enormously long Paleolithic era of "gathering and hunting" societies, of the several distinct breakthroughs to agriculture, and of the emergence of the earliest cities, states, and civilizations. While drawing on the most recent historical and archeological scholarship, Lauren Ristvet tells these stories in highly engaging language wholly accessible to beginning college students and other nonspecialists. Reflecting the central concerns of World History, this book sketches these landmark developments on a global canvas. Comparative case studies illustrate variations within themes such as the difference between Paleolithic communities in Australia and Central Europe, between the Agricultural Revolutions of the Middle East and Meso-America, or between the role of the state in ancient Mesopotamia and India. Highlighting both the separate paths and the intersecting journeys of diverse human communities. In the Beginning provides the essential but often neglected foundation on which all subsequent historical development was constructed.