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Big History and the Future of Humanity

By Fred Spier
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Big History and the Future of Humanity, Fred Spier explores the overarching narrative of history from the Big Bang to the present and beyond. By examining the interconnections between cosmological, biological, and social development, Spier offers a unifying perspective on the past and insights into the potential future of our species. The book delves into how human actions can shape our global future amid evolving challenges.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$6199
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're curious about how different disciplines like astronomy, geology, and anthropology interconnect to paint a comprehensive picture of humanity's past and its potential future. It offers a unique perspective by blending science, history, and philosophy to explore the grand narrative of the universe and human existence. Ideal for readers who enjoy thought-provoking explorations of where we've come from and where we might be headed.

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Featuring a variety of updates and revisions, Big History and the Future of Humanity, Second Edition, presents an accessible and original overview of the entire sweep of history from the origins of the universe and origins of life on Earth up to the present day.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Big History and the Future of Humanity

"This remains the best single attempt to theorise big history as a discipline that can link core concepts and paradigms across all historical disciplines, from cosmology to geology, from biology to human history. With additional and updated material, the Second Edition also offers a fine introduction to the history of big history and a superb introductory survey to the big history story. Essential reading for anyone interested in a rapidly evolving new field of scholarship that links the sciences and the humanities into a modern, science-based origin story."
—David Christian, Macquarie University

"Notable for its theoretic approach, this new Second Edition is both an indispensable contribution to the emerging big history narrative and a powerful university textbook. Spier defines words carefully and recognises the limits of current knowledge, aspects of his own clear thinking."
—Cynthia Brown, Emerita, Dominican University of California

Reflecting the latest theories in the sciences and humanities, this new edition of Big History and the Future of Humanity presents an accessible and original overview of the entire sweep of history from the origins of the universe and life on Earth up to the present day. Placing the relatively brief period of human history within a much broader framework – one that considers everything from vast galaxy clusters to the tiniest sub-atomic particles – big history is an innovative theoretical approach that opens up entirely new multidisciplinary research agendas. Noted historian Fred Spier reveals how a thorough examination of patterns of complexity can offer richer insights into what the future may have in store for humanity.

The second edition includes new learning features, such as highlighted scientific concepts, an illustrative timeline and comprehensive glossary. By exploring the cumulative history from the Big Bang to the modern day, Big History and the Future of Humanity, Second Edition, sheds important historical light on where we have been – and offers a tantalising glimpse of what lies ahead.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781118881729

Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 24 April 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Wiley-Blackwell

Edition: 2nd edition

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 150.0mm

Height: 226.0mm

Weight: 544g

Pages: 368

Collections

Fred Spier Global History History & Archaeology History & Military Non-Fiction

About the Author

Fred Spier is Senior Lecturer in Big History at the University of Amsterdam. He also teaches big history at the Eindhoven University of Technology and Amsterdam University College. He is the author of The Structure of Big History: From the Big Bang until Today (1996) and a founding member and President of the International Big History Association.

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