Customer Reviews

The Essential World History

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This is a somewhat basic book. Not bad by any imagination, but "tell me something I don't know" comes to mind.

The product was in excellent condition. I received it faster than I thought. This was my first time buying anything on amzaon and the experience was great.

It seems that the closer to modern history this text reaches, the further away from accuracy it strays. I was particularly disappointed when reading that Duiker is considered somewhat of an "expert" on Communism--and, by association, socialism. Alas, his expertise does not mean he can differentiate between basic terms such as "welfare state" and socialism. Furthermore, the later chapters are written from the perspective that socialism (even when wrongly identified) is the scourge of the earth, while capitalism will solve all problems.

Given the fact that the authors incorrectly identify a welfare state as socialism, it seems even stranger that they would characterize such systems, past and future--despite the fact that historical research is a descriptive endeavor rather than prescriptive--as utter failures, even though the nation with the greatest living standard in the world is in fact a welfare state.

I am sincerely disappointed with the skewed perspective the authors impose upon impressionable students that usually don't know any better but to accept it all as fact. Although, if you accept the statements provided in the Essential World History, 2nd edition, such anti-academic practices only happen in non-western, communist and freedom hating countries.

If you're interested in indoctrinating a large audience of students ignorant of history, by all means provide this book as their text. If you want to teach real history, however, I'd suggest looking elsewhere.