The Big History of Civilizations

By: Craig G. Benjamin, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Craig G. Benjamin

The history of human civilization is an astonishing story of migration, innovation, and social development. Now, the exciting new field of "big history" allows us to explore human civilizations in ways unavailable to historians of previous generations. Big history scholars take a multidisciplinary approach to study great spans of time, unlocking important themes, trends, and developments across time and space.

Unlike a traditional survey of history - with its focus on dates and events, kings and battles - The Big History of Civilizations is your chance to apply this cutting-edge historical approach to the epic story of humanity around the world. Taught by acclaimed Professor Craig G. Benjamin of Grand Valley State University, these 36 sweeping lectures trace the story of human civilizations from our emergence as a species, through the agricultural and industrial revolutions, and into the future.

It only takes a few minutes of one lecture for you to discover that Big History is an amazing approach to history. Its grand vision will give you powerful new insights into human civilization, and it offers a profound analysis of some of our biggest questions: What makes us human? Where did we come from? And where are we going? There may be no easy answers, but Professor Benjamin takes you on a powerful journey to the limits of our understanding.

What differentiates big history from any other field is the way it combines divergent fields, from archaeology and anthropology to ecology and philosophy, and ties them together, allowing you to see patterns of our past, present - and even future. From the just-right "Goldilocks factors" that allow civilizations to emerge to different ways civilizations have emerged across time and around the word, this riveting approach to history offers a multidisciplinary toolkit to tell the story about what makes us human.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2016 The Great Courses (P)2016 The Teaching Company, LLC

very shallow and some is just incorrect

Much of the first half of the course is just a very shallow and often over simplified pass over Eurasian history up to the Mongols, with "big history" analyses only really coming in when he starts looking at the Americas. many details are wrong or anachronistic, such as attributing modern crops from the Americas to African farmers because they farm them now (cassava, for example). He also suffers from editorializing, such as applying cultural beliefs to Amazonian people's pre-Euro contact that have not been confirmed.

I guess it is an okay first start, but there are many better courses out there.

Nothing better

This is the single best piece of audible literature i have ever come across.

Good material and well narrated.

I would give 100 stars if i could.

Good book

Helps in understanding the present and future. We do repeat the past. Good for future thinking.

Good History Overview,

My only dislike is him acting like he knows the future, didn't like that no

enjoyable for commute

The narrator was pleasant to listen to and the lectures are orderly and often interesting. I would have liked to have a little more depth and more info on ordinary people, lifestyles, and culture.

A new take on history of mankind, the earth, the universe

Never thought of history in the big picture way this book/course explains it. How our environment has affected the way different civilizations have risen and eventual fall. Have we really managed to free ourself from this cycle or have we just managed to push it forward?

Too many chapters.

I enjoyed the introduction and chapter 6. The middle has too many facts and not enough of the themes that interested. Then chapter 30 through the end I thought was just great.

The amount of work this took for the professor is staggering, just look at the bibliography. He has a good presentation as well.
It is one of the most interesting and thought provoking courses in The Great Courses series. I would have liked a broader topic like military history and innovation combined into one chapter rather than scatter the topic around to each civilization. The same for trade influences, religion, etc. instead I got a little board going through the history of each geographical area, but only a little. I will listen to this again and get more out of it. That is a sign of a great course.

Fast moving global history

This was an incredibly fast paced history of all humankind. I did appreciate getting the perspective of big history. I think it would be useful to know more about some of the periods before listening to this recap. On the other hand it might intrigue a highschooler or other homeschooler with curiosity.

There are so many good great courses history lectures but Professor Benjamin is definitely one of the better ones. He has a lot of enthusiasm and I thought this one of his lecture series was particularly well done.

Loved this listen

A bit like taking a supersonic flight from the very beginning to the present and finishing with an imaging of what may come. Super engaging listen. I found myself going within chapters just to hear again the account of what happened when. Recommended

Exactly what I was hoping for!

Moves pretty quick and covers a lot of civilizations across all time periods. I would have been content with more detail on some civs, but that can be found in more targeted books...