Includes index

Part 1: Getting into history
Tracing a path to the present
Digging up reality
Putting history into perspective
Part 2: Finding strength in numbers
Getting civilized
Rising and falling empires
Splitting eras: the Middle Ages
Struggling for dominance
Grabbing the globe
Pulling empires together as subjects push back
Part 3: Seeking answers
Worshipping through the ages
Loving wisdom: Philosophy's impact
Being Christian, thinking Greek
Awakening to the Renaissance
Breaking away: The Reformation
Opening up to science and Enlightenment
Part 4: Fighting, fighting, fighting
Wielding sticks and stones: old-fashioned way
Upgrading the war machine
Modernized mayhem
Part 5: Meeting the movers and shakers
Starting something legendary
Battling toward immortality
Exploring and "discovering"
Turning tables: rebels and revolutionaries
Part 6: The part of tens
Ten unforgettable dates in history
Ten essential historical documents

"Discover how the modern world came to be with this easy-to-follow and up-to-date history companion. Want to get a taste of the entirety of human history in a single book? With World History For Dummies, you'll get an overview of the history of, well, everything, from the Neanderthal experience to the latest historical developments of the 21st century. Re-live history from your armchair as you ride into battle alongside Roman generals, prepare Egyptian pharaohs for the afterlife, and learn from the great Greek poets and philosophers"-- Provided by publisher