Michael Burger's goal in this inexpensive overview is to provide a brief, historical narrative of Western civilization. Not only does its length and price separate this text from the competition, but its no-frills, uncluttered format and well-written, one-authored approach make it a valuable asset for every history student. The Shaping of Western Civilization begins with the ancient Near East and ends with globalization. Unlike other textbooks that pile on dates and facts, Shaping is a more coherent and interpretive presentation. Burger's skills as writer and synthesizer will enable students to obtain the background required to ask meaningful questions of primary sources. In addition to suggestions for further reading, this overview includes over 50 images and 22 maps.

Michael Burger's goal in this inexpensive overview is to provide a brief, historical narrative of Western civilization. Not only does its length and price separate this text from the competition, but its no-frills, uncluttered format and well-written, one-authored approach make it a valuable asset for every history student. The Shaping of Western Civilization: From the Reformation to the Present begins with the Reformation and ends with globalization. Unlike other textbooks that pile on dates and facts, Shaping is a more coherent and interpretive presentation. Burger's skills as writer and synthesizer will enable students to obtain the background required to ask meaningful questions of primary sources. In addition to suggestions for further reading, this overview includes over 20 images and 11 maps.

Prepared by James T. Baker of Western Kentucky University, the Study Guide includes chapter outlines and summaries, a glossary of key terms for each chapter, analysis of primary source documents, and questions that include matching, multiple choice, fill-in-the blank, chronology, critical thought, and map exercise questions.

I assign selected articles from the Golden anthology in conjunction with the appropriate topic in my syllabus for several reasons. I want students to have some idea of what historians do. I also want begining students to try their hand at criticizing scholar's work. The articles also serve as important vehicles for stimulating discussion.

"In this wonderful book, Thomas Patterson effectively dethrones the concept of 'civilization' as an abstract good, transcending human society." --Martin Bernal Drawing on his extensive knowledge of early societies, Thomas C. Patterson shows how class, sexism, and racism have been integral to the appearance of "civilized" societies in Western Europe. He lays out clearly and simply how civilization, with its designs of "civilizing" and "being civilized," has been closely tied to the rise of capitalism in Western Europe and the development of social classes.

This brief version of WESTERN CIVILIZATION retains all of the best-selling features of the larger book in a condensed format. Three versions are available: Comprehensive (Chapters 1-29), Volume I: To 1715, and Volume II: Since 1500. The author writes, "I began this project with two primary goals. First, I wanted to write a well-balanced work in which the political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, cultural, and military aspects of Western civilization would be integrated into a chronologically ordered synthesis. Second, I wanted to avoid the approach that is quite common in other brief histories of Western civilization - an approach that makes them collections of facts with little continuity from section to section. Instead, I sought to keep the story in history. Narrative history effectively transmits the knowledge of the past and is the form that best enables students to remember and understand the past. At the same time, I have not overlooked the need for the kind of historical analysis that makes students aware that historians often disagree in their interpretations of the past."