World Civilizations

The story of human civilization can be read most deeply in the materials we have found or created, used or abused. They have dictated how we build, eat, communicate, wage war, create art, travel, and worship. Some, such as stone, iron, and bronze, lend their names to the ages. Others, such as gold, silver, and diamond, contributed to the rise and fall of great empires.

Learning about history helps us understand how we got where we are today—and how to make the world a better place. From the rise of Mesopotamia in the distant past to the global pandemic of 2020, this kid-friendly journey takes young learners through thousands of years of history, one key event at a time.

History of The World: Vishwa Ka Itihas by Yogendra Prasad offers a comprehensive overview of world history, from the dawn of civilization to modern times. The audiobook covers ancient civilizations, world wars, revolutions, and key moments that shaped the course of human history.

An extraordinary look at an ordinary substance—and one we'd be dead without: salt. Salt has shaped civilization from the very beginning, and the story of this common household seasoning proves a fascinating one. In a kaleidoscope of history, Mark Kurlansky—bestselling author of  1968 and...

A finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award The gripping story of the most important overlooked commodity in the world--sand--and the crucial role it plays in our lives. After water and air, sand is the natural resource that we consume more than any other--even more than...

Whether you're an avid student of the Bible or a skeptic of its relevance, The Book That Made Your World will transform your perception of its influence on virtually every facet of Western civilization. Vishal Mangalwadi reveals the personal motivation that fueled his own study of the Bible. Learn how the Bible transformed the social, political, and religious institutions that have sustained Western culture for the past millennium, and discover how secular corruption endangers the stability and longevity of Western civilization.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A magisterial world history unlike any other that tells the story of humanity through the one thing we all have in common: families From the author of The Romanovs A Best Book of the Year: The New Yorker, Smithsonian “Succession meets Game of Thrones.”...

Since its initial publication, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order has become a classic work of international relations and one of the most influential books ever written about foreign affairs. An insightful and powerful analysis of the forces driving global politics, it...

“A journey as epic, and varying, as the Silk Road itself...[The Fabric of Civilization is] like a swatch of a Florentine Renaissance brocade: carefully woven, the technique precise, the colors a mix of shade and shine and an accurate representation of the whole cloth” (The New York Times)...

Brought to you by Penguin. A beguiling cultural history of colour by the BAFTA nominated broadcaster and art historian James Fox The subject of this book is humankind's extraordinary relationship with colour. It is composed of a series of voyages, ranging across the world and throughout history...

Step into epic ancient history to uncover the foundational cultural inventions that built our modern civilization. Perfect for your daily commute or a focused learning session, this immersive audio journey bypasses dry dates to examine the first great experiments in organized human life...

Uncover the epic rise of world history's first vast empires and see how scattered farming villages built civilization. Perfect for a thought-provoking daily commute, this immersive narrative sweeps you from the fertile banks of the Nile to the bustling trade routes of the Mediterranean...

Audiobook narrated by the author. “A spellbinding tour de force!” —Walter Scheidel, author of What Is Ancient History? “This is non-fiction storytelling at its finest.” —Eric H. Cline, author of 1177 B.C. The creator of the hit podcast Tides of History offers a new look at...

Uncover the rise and fall of Andean empires in an immersive world history of indigenous resilience and global conquest. Perfect for deep-focus learning during a morning commute, this sweeping historical narrative transforms a seemingly remote landscape into the vibrant epicenter of international...

Most of us take for granted the features of our modern society, from air travel and telecommunications to literacy and obesity. Yet for nearly all of its six million years of existence, human society had none of these things. While the gulf that divides us from our primitive ancestors may seem...

THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE AN ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium. These fundamental materials have created empires, razed civilizations, and fed our ingenuity and greed for thousands of years. Without them, our modern world...

Uncover the fascinating microhistory of an everyday mineral that silently engineered the rise and fall of global empires. Perfect for your daily commute or a deep-focus learning session, this immersive historical journey reveals how a biological craving drove human evolution. Discover the hidden...

An award-winning Cambridge history professor “makes a forceful argument and tells a story with great verve” (The Wall Street Journal)—that the West is, and always has been, truly global. “Those archaic ‘Western Civ’ classes so many of us took in college should be updated, argues...

The story of literature in sixteen acts—from Homer to Harry Potter, including The Tale of Genji, Don Quixote, The Communist Manifesto, and how they shaped world history In this groundbreaking book, Martin Puchner leads us on a remarkable journey through time and around the globe to reveal the...

Brought to you by Penguin. Robin Lane Fox's The Classical World: An Epic History of Greece and Rome is a comprehensive and enthralling introduction to Ancient civilization. The classical civilizations of Greece and Rome dominated the world for centuries and continue to intrigue and enlighten us...