David Christian

** A 2018 GoodReads Choice Award Nominee in the History & Biography category**A captivating history of the universe -- from before the dawn of time through the far reaches of the distant future.Most historians study the smallest slivers of time, emphasizing specific dates, individuals, and documents. But what would it look like to study the whole of history, from the big bang through the present day -- and even into the remote future? How would looking at the full span of time change the way we perceive the universe, the earth, and our very existence?These were the questions David Christian set out to answer when he created the field of "Big History," the most exciting new approach to understanding where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. In Origin Story, Christian takes readers on a wild ride through the entire 13.8 billion years we've come to know as "history." By focusing on defining events (thresholds), major trends, and profound questions about our origins, Christian exposes the hidden threads that tie everything together -- from the creation of the planet to the advent of agriculture, nuclear war, and beyond.With stunning insights into the origin of the universe, the beginning of life, the emergence of humans, and what the future might bring, Origin Story boldly reframes our place in the cosmos.

An introduction to a new way of looking at history, from a perspective that stretches from the beginning of time to the present day, Maps of Time is world history on an unprecedented scale. Beginning with the Big Bang, David Christian views the interaction of the natural world with the more recent arrivals in flora and fauna, including human beings.Cosmology, geology, archeology, and population and environmental studies—all figure in David Christian's account, which is an ambitious overview of the emerging field of "Big History." Maps of Time opens with the origins of the universe, the stars and the galaxies, the sun and the solar system, including the earth, and conducts readers through the evolution of the planet before human habitation. It surveys the development of human society from the Paleolithic era through the transition to agriculture, the emergence of cities and states, and the birth of the modern, industrial period right up to intimations of possible futures. Sweeping in scope, finely focused in its minute detail, this riveting account of the known world, from the inception of space-time to the prospects of global warming, lays the groundwork for world history—and Big History—true as never before to its name.

Big HistoryContentsThreshold 1: The Universe - CosmologyThreshold 2: The First Stars - AstronomyThreshold 3: The Chemical Elements - ChemistryThreshold 4: The Earth and the Solar System - GeologyThreshold 5: Life - BiologyThreshold 6: The Paleolithic Era - Human HistoryThreshold 7: The Agrarian Era - Human HistoryThreshold 8: The Modern Era - Human History

A great historian can make clear the connections between the first Homo sapiens and today's version of the species, and a great storyteller can make those connections come alive. David Christian is both. This Fleeting A Short History of Humanity makes the journey a fascinating one. Christian takes us from the Big Bang to the earliest foraging era to the present Anthropocene epoch. This popular work, now in its fifth printing, has been reorganized to help the student and expanded to include material on "big history." Enter This Fleeting World - and give up the preconception that anything old is boring. A compact, easy-to-read overview of world history, ideal for curriculum development, classroom preparation, and student review.

The New York Times bestselling author of Origin Story, who Bill Gates has “long been a fan of,” turns his attention to the future of humanity — and how we think about it — in this ambitious book.The future is uncertain, a bit spooky, possibly dangerous, maybe wonderful. We cope with this never-ending uncertainty by telling stories about the future, future stories. How do we construct those stories? Where is the future, the place where we set those stories? Can we trust our future stories? And what sort of futures do they show us?This book is about future stories and future thinking, about how we prepare for the future. Think of it as a sort of User’s Guide to the Future. We all need such a guide because the future is where we will spend the rest of our lives.David Christian, historian and author of Origin Story , is renowned for pioneering the emerging discipline of Big History, which surveys the whole of the past. But with Future Stories , he casts his sharp analytical eye forward, offering an introduction to the strange world of the future, and a guide to what we think we know about it at all scales, from the individual to the cosmological.Christian consults theologians, philosophers, scientists, statisticians, and scholars from a huge range of places and times as he explores how we prepare for uncertain futures, including the future of human evolution, artificial intelligence, interstellar travel, and more. By linking the study of the past much more closely to the study of the future, we can begin to imagine what the world will look like in a hundred years and consider solutions to the biggest challenges facing us all.

Big Between Nothing and Everything surveys the past not just of humanity, or even of planet Earth, but of the entire universe. In reading this book instructors and students will retrace a voyage that began 13.7 billion years ago with the Big Bang and the appearance of the universe. Big history incorporates findings from cosmology, earth and life sciences, and human history, and assembles them into a single, universal historical narrative of our universe and of our place within it. The first edition of Big Between Nothing and Everything , is written by the pioneers of the field, and presents a framework for learning about anything and everything. It encourages students to think critically about our cumulative history and the future of the world through a variety of lenses.Instructors and students can now access their course content through the Connect digital learning platform by purchasing either standalone Connect access or a bundle of print and Connect access. McGraw-Hill Connect® is a subscription-based learning service accessible online through your personal computer or tablet. Choose this option if your instructor will require Connect to be used in the course. Your subscription to Connect includes the • SmartBook® - an adaptive digital version of the course textbook that personalizes your reading experience based on how well you are learning the content.• Access to your instructor’s homework assignments, quizzes, syllabus, notes, reminders, and other important files for the course.• Progress dashboards that quickly show how you are performing on your assignments and tips for improvement.• The option to purchase (for a small fee) a print version of the book. This binder-ready, loose-leaf version includes free shipping.Complete system requirements to use Connect can be found

The first comprehensive book on footwork in martial arts covers everything you need to know to take your training to the next level. Footwork Wins Fights goes into great detail on everything you need to know about footwork.*Body MechanicsBasic and Clear Rules on how to move efficiently.*Comprehensive List of FootworkBeginner To AdvancedIn depth explanations from the very basics all the way to the advanced footwork of great masters like Dominick Cruz, Willie Pep and Mike Tyson.*Superior PositionsLearn which positions leave you least vulnerable and most likely to land strikes and secure takedowns.*Techniques And StrategiesThere are a vast array of different strategies that can be employed in footwork; from the mobility biased styles of fighters like Muhammad Ali and Dominick Cruz to patient minimalists like Joe Louis.*Footwork Patterns to Attain Superior PositionsEvery exchange of blows has an Entry and an Exit, with potential Adjustments happening in between.True pros know how to best use these principles to get the best out of every exchange. With over 23,000 words and 300 pictures, each technique is laid out in a clear, concise, easy to understand manner. Learn the most basic and proven footwork patterns like the Inside Angle Jab all the way to the most advanced preparations like the Shifting V Step.UPDATE April 6 2020: Pictures have been professionally enhanced for better clarity and contrast.

This is a history of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia from the time of the first inhabitants of the region up to the break up of the Mongol Empire in 1260 AD. Inner Eurasia, as the author defines it, comprises most of the former Soviet Union and Russia's huge territories in Siberia; Russia's former empire in Central Asia; China's central Asian empire; and Mongolia, both the parts within China and those within the Mongolian People's Republic. The author presents Inner Eurasia as a coherent region with an underlying unity in geography and history despite its cultural and ecological variety. This volume, the first of two surveying this region, charts developments from the Old Stone Age, through changes under such peoples as the Scythians, the Huns and the Turks, to the emergence of an identifiable "Rus" - the society from which modern Russia and Ukraine have evolved. The book sets political events in the broadest context of social and economic change, linking evolution to the vast geography of the territories it describes. Together with volume II covering the period up to the present, the work represents the most thorough, up-to-date study of this fascinating and much misunderstood region of the world. The Blackwell History of the World Series The goal of this ambitious series is to provide an accessible source of knowledge about the entire human past, for every curious person in every part of the world. It will comprise some two dozen volumes, of which some provide synoptic views of the history of particular regions while others consider the world as a whole during a particular period of time. The volumes are narrative in form, giving balanced attention to social and cultural history (in the broadest sense) as well as to institutional development and political change. Each provides a systematic account of a very large subject, but they are also both imaginative and interpretative. The Series is intended to be accessible to the widest possible readership, and the accessibility of its volumes is matched by the style of presentation and production.

Provides an all-encompassing look at the history of Russia, Central Asia, and Mongolia Beginning with the breakup of the Mongol Empire in the mid-thirteenth century, Volume II of this comprehensive work covers the remarkable history of “Inner Eurasia,” from 1260 up to modern times, completing the story begun in Volume I. Volume II describes how agriculture spread through Inner Eurasia, providing the foundations for new agricultural states, including the Russian Empire. It focuses on the idea of “mobilization”―the distinctive ways in which elite groups mobilized resources from their populations, and how those methods were shaped by the region’s distinctive ecology, which differed greatly from that of “Outer Eurasia,” the southern half of Eurasia and the part of Eurasia most studied by historians. This work also examines how fossil fuels created a bonanza of energy that helped shape the history of the Communist world during much of the twentieth century. Filled with figures, maps, and tables to help give readers a fuller understanding of what has transpired over 750 years in this distinctive world region, A History of Russia, Central Asia and Volume Inner Eurasia from the Mongol Empire to Today, 1260-2000 is a magisterial but accessible account of this area’s past, that will offer readers new insights into the history of an often misunderstood part of the world. A History of Russia, Central Asia and Volume II is an ideal book for general audiences and for use in undergraduate and graduate courses in world history. The Blackwell History of the World Series The goal of this ambitious series is to provide an accessible source of knowledge about the entire human past, for every curious person in every part of the world. It will comprise some two dozen volumes, of which some provide synoptic views of the history of particular regions while others consider the world as a whole during a particular period of time. The volumes are narrative in form, giving balanced attention to social and cultural history (in the broadest sense) as well as to institutional development and political change. Each provides a systematic account of a very large subject, but they are also both imaginative and interpretative. The Series is intended to be accessible to the widest possible readership, and the accessibility of its volumes is matched by the style of presentation and production.

A Samurai arrives in England intent on conquering the world of London Prizefighting. But there is much more to the young warrior Datte than at first meets the eye. Haunted by the ghosts of his past and spurred on by the hope of saving someone he loves, Datte must master the brutal, beautiful art of Boxing or die trying. In front of him lies his first challenge, but many more will come. Written by David Christian, creator of the popular youtube channel The Modern Martial Artist and author of the best selling technique book Footwork Wins Fights, Mortal Weapons is the beginning of an epic journey that spans multiple continents and showcases several unique and diverse disciplines. Mortal Weapons seamlessly blends the feel of a classic Kung Fu Movie and a Sports Anime. It showcases real techniques and strategies used by the worlds greatest fighters today, while emerging the reader in a narrative full of drama, humor and violence.

It is impossible to make sense of the modern world without understanding the vast, and ultimately unsuccessful, experiment with Communism that began in Russia in 1917. Imperial and Soviet Russia offers a coherent interpretation of the turbulent history of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union during the last two centuries. Tracing the roots of the Communist experiment in the peasant world of traditional Russia, it shows how the harsh social and economic changes of the nineteenth century created enough dislocation to topple the tsarist regime and bring the Bolsheviks to power in 1917.

This book covers the foundations used to generate power in striking, and outlines the unique ways that the world's greatest fighters put them together. By the end of the book, you should be able to apply these principles to fit your own particular strengths and style.The techniques in each chapter are boiled down into simple principles and easy to use drills, so you won’t only have a mental understanding of how to build massive power, but a physical one.Each section comes with links to exclusive breakdown videos on the world’s greatest knockout artists to help illustrate their techniques.

How is it possible for the disciplines of cosmology, geology, anthropology, biology, and history to fit together? These 48 lectures answer that question by weaving a single story from accounts of the past developed by a variety of scholarly disciplines. The result is a story stretching from the origins of the universe to the present day and beyond, in which human history is seen as part of the history of our Earth and biosphere, and the Earth's history, in turn, is seen as part of the history of the universe. Like traditional creation stories told by the world's great religions and mythologies, this lecture series provides a map of our place in space and time. But it does so using the insights and knowledge of modern science, as synthesized by a renowned historian. While you may have heard parts of this story before in courses on geology, history, anthropology, biology, cosmology, and other scholarly disciplines, Professor Christian provides more than just a recap of those disciplines. "Because of the scale on which we look at the past, you should not expect to find in it many of the familiar details, names, and personalities that you'll find in other types of historical teaching and writing," he explains. "For example, the French Revolution and the Renaissance will barely get a mention. They'll zoom past in a blur. You'll barely see them. Instead, what we're going to see are some less familiar aspects of the past. We'll be looking, above all, for the very large patterns, the shape of the past. "Prepare yourself for a journey through time and across space, from the first moments of existence to the distant reaches of the far future."

How do elite fighters put all the elements of their unique skillset together into one seamless style that dominates? Build Your Fight Style covers everything you need to know, from setting up basic exchanges and game plans to advanced sequences and tactics. Build on your strengths, capitalize on your opponent's weaknesses, and build a winning strategy that works best for your body, skillset and inclinations.

The first comprehensive book on blocks and head movement in martial arts covers everything you need to know to take your training to the next level. Aggressive Defense goes into great detail on everything you need to know about defense, *Basic to Advanced Blocks, Rolls, Parries, Head Movement and counters. *All Pro Guards and Styles – Cross Guard, Philly Shell, Long Guard, Peek-A-Boo, Low Guard and more. Beginner To Advanced In depth explanations with over 1,000 pictures, from the very basics all the way to advanced counters. *Reference Sections - After each chapter pro fighters are listed that used the techniques shown along with fights where that technique made a huge difference. If the technique is rare or hard to pull off, specific rounds and even times are given. After learning each technique you can look up the fights referenced to see it used by masters like Muhammad Ali, Anderson Silva, Saenchai, Willie Pep, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Floyd Mayweather, Conor McGregor, Manny Pacquiao, GSP, Buakaw, Mike Tyson and many more. *Southpaw Tactics (Open Stance Considerations for Southpaws and those that fight them) - Each chapter has pages of information on how the techniques shown are different for Southpaws, along with Southpaw specific counters. Learn which positions leave you least vulnerable and most likely to counter strike and secure takedowns. With over 43,000 words and 1,000 pictures, each technique is laid out in a clear, concise, easy to understand manner. Perfect for Boxing, Kickboxing, and MMA Stand Up.

La mayoría de los historiadores estudian franjas de tiempo pequeñas, enfatizando fechas específicas, individuos y documentos. Pero, ¿cómo sería estudiar toda la historia, desde el Big Bang hasta el presente, e incluso plantearnos cómo sería el futuro si lo viéramos como una gran red en la que todo está conectado? David Christian nos acompaña en un viaje a lo largo de los 13.800 millones de años que hemos conocido como «historia», ayudándose de ocho momentos clave en los que las condiciones adecuadas han permitido que surjan nuevas formas de complejidad. Y lo hace trazando una «gran historia» en la que todo está conectado, que discurre desde el Big Bang, el sistema solar, la aparición de la vida, los dinosaurios, el Homo sapiens y los grandes imperios hasta la globalización. Un libro que ha despertado el entusiasmo de lectores como Bill Gates o el físico Carlo Rovelli quien lo considera «un método espectacular para poner orden en todos nuestros conocimientos sobre el mundo».

The evolution of Russia's political culture. Signed by author on half-title page.

This is a study of the social, economic, and political role of vodka in nineteenth-century Russia. Since the "Green Serpent" first appeared in sixteenth-century Muscovy, it has played a vital part in Russian life. Vodka became an essential ingredient in all working class celebrations--personal, religious, and commercial. By the nineteenth century, it was generating one third of government revenue. The individual and governmental dependence on vodka has endured into the Gorbachev era, yet until now, the phenomenon has largely been ignored by historians. Drawing on original research in Soviet archives, this lively volume will provide an indispensable analysis of the importance of the vodka trade to all aspects of Russian life.

'David Christian's approach to understanding history can help all of us learn to prepare for the future' - Bill GatesA user's guide to the from the algorithms in DNA to why time is like a cocktail glass, interstellar migrations, transhumanism, the fate of the galaxy, and the last black hole...Every second of our lives - whether we're looking both ways before crossing the street, celebrating the birth of a baby, or moving to a new city - we must cope with an unknowable future by telling stories about what will happen next. Where is the future, the place where we set those stories? Can we trust our future stories? And what sort of futures do they show us?David Christian, historian and bestselling author of Origin Story, is renowned for pioneering the emerging discipline of Big History, which surveys the whole of the past. But with Future Stories, he casts his sharp analytical eye forward, offering an introduction to the strange world of the future, and a guide to what we think we know about it at all scales, from the predictive mechanisms of single-celled organisms and tomato plants to the merging of colossal galaxies billions of years from now.Drawing together science, history and philosophy from a huge range of places and times, Christian explores how we prepare for uncertain futures, including the future of human evolution, artificial intelligence, interstellar travel, and more. By linking the study of the past much more closely to the study of the future, we can begin to imagine what the world will look like in the next hundred years and consider solutions to the biggest challenges facing us all.

A scholar among the laity, anonymous author David Christian, in checking the text amongst the ordained, received positive feedback including the Ernie (38 years of church pastoral leadership) wrote, Book is remarkable with more knowledge of biblical literature and history than most ministers including yours truly.Laurie (pastor of a small local church) offered For your fun and engaging approach abundant praise. And know that its a fine book to use with small groups.Wayne (ordained seminary professor) calls it a thesaurus of great reading, good thinking, and delightfully provocative writing.The goal of the book is to motivate saving the many Christian churches from themselves so that in unity the Church will motivate saving the world from itself. We dont have a lot of time.

If you are ready to know how to master the art of selling or how to sell your product to anyone online.eg Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Tiktok etc. this book will guide you.in this book, you will discover the topics about how the selling process really works no matter what your product is, how to mastering the art of sell and how to establish yourself.David Christian is an expect when it comes to online marketing. we has built a fortune from the internet and it dedicated to helping other like yourself find the same measure of online legitimate

The Millennial Script is a collection of concise and focused thoughts on an array of themes related to life and spirituality. As the title suggests, the manuscript offers nuggets of wisdom and insight into aspects of spirituality and/or fruits of the spirit. Themes explored include love, joy, forgiveness, money and wealth, as well as family and relationships. It is a collage of spirit-inspired texts that is intended to provide clarity on various issues of life and at the same time be transformative. 'The Millennial Script - Instructions from the Spirit' is meant to challenge and inspire the reader to achieve a state of higher consciousness and evolve into the best version of themselves, beginning with a focus on spirituality.

Du Big Bang aux étoiles, du système solaire à la vie sur Terre, des dinosaures à Homo sapiens, de l'agriculture aux empires, des énergies fossiles à la mondialisation...Vendu à près d'un million d'exemplaires dans le monde et traduit dans plus de trente langues, Origines propose une fresque captivante de l'univers et de l'humanité.En s'appuyant sur l'astronomie, la physique, la biologie et l'histoire, David Christian retrace les grandes étapes de l'histoire du monde, depuis la création du cosmos jusqu'à l'essor de la civilisation moderne et au-delà.Face aux " romans nationaux ", David Christian propose la " Grande Histoire ", une approche interdisciplinaire qui explore l'histoire sur des milliards d'années et qui invite l'humanité à bâtir une vision commune et partagée de ses origines, dans l'esprit des grands récits de Michel Serres, Jared Diamond et Yuval Noah Harari.--" Époustouflant ! David Christian fait plus fort que son confrère Yuval Noah Harari. " L'Express " C'est dans la narration que l'on touche l'originalité du travail de David Christian, qui par métaphores et paraboles, fait preuve de pédagogie. Cet ouvrage tient son pari vulgarisateur. " Le Point " Un condensé d'intelligence, de rigueur scientifique et de pédagogie. Il y a des livres qui changent la façon dont on regarde le monde et Origines en fait partie. " WeDemain " Je suis un grand admirateur de David Christian. Un livre indispensable pour comprendre notre passé, notre présent et notre avenir. "Bill Gates" Une merveilleuse brève histoire de l'univers. " The Wall Street Journal " Une réalisation extraordinaire. Un moyen spectaculaire d'utiliser l'histoire pour synthétiser nos connaissances sur le monde. "Carlo Rovelli, physicien et auteur de L'ordre du temps et de Sept brèves leçons de physique" Une synthèse majestueuse de notre compréhension de l'univers, du système solaire, des océans, des minéraux et des montagnes, de toute forme de vie sur Terre, ainsi que des dynamiques culturelles de notre civilisation. Un livre essentiel pour éclairer notre place dans le cosmos. "Sir Ken Robinson, expert en éducation et créativité" L'exemple de recherche interdisciplinaire le plus puissant que je connaisse. "Fareed Zakaria, politologue et auteur de L'âge des révolutions

Maps of An Introduction to Big History (California World History Library) [Paperback]David Christian (Author) William H. McNeill (Preface)