Maps of time: an introduction to big history

List of Illustrations List of Tables Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction: A Modern Creation Myth? PART I. THE INANIMATE UNIVERSE 1. The First 300,000 Years: Origins of the Universe, Time, and Space 2. Origins of the Galaxies and Stars: The Beginnings of Complexity 3. Origins and History of the Earth PART II. LIFE ON EARTH 4. The Origins of Life and the Theory of Evolution 5. The Evolution of Life and the Biosphere PART III. EARLY HUMAN HISTORY: MANY WORLDS 6. The Evolution of Humans 7. The Beginnings of Human History PART IV. THE HOLOCENE: FEW WORLDS 8. Intensification and the Origins of Agriculture 9. From Power over Nature to Power over People: Cities, States, and Civilizations 10. Long Trends in the Era of Agrarian Civilizations PART V. THE MODERN ERA: ONE WORLD 11. Approaching Modernity 12. Globalization, Commercialization, and Innovation 13. Birth of the Modern World 14. The Great Acceleration of the Twentieth Century PART VI. PERSPECTIVES ON THE FUTURE 15. Futures Appendix 1. Dating Techniques, Chronologies, and Timelines Appendix 2. Chaos and Order Notes Bibliography Index