Science Civilization

Why do civilizations rise, flourish, weaken, and fall? Centuries before sociology had a name, before modern economics became a discipline, and before historians spoke of systems theory, one fourteenth-century Muslim thinker looked at the rise and fall of nations and saw a hidden pattern. His name was Ibn Khaldun. In his masterpiece, the Muqaddimah, Ibn Khaldun transformed history from a record of kings and battles into a science of civilization itself. He asked questions that still haunt the modern world: What holds a society together? Why do ruling classes decay? How does wealth weaken the...

The story of human civilization can be read most deeply in the materials we have found or created, used or abused. They have dictated how we build, eat, communicate, wage war, create art, travel, and worship. Some, such as stone, iron, and bronze, lend their names to the ages. Others, such as gold, silver, and diamond, contributed to the rise and fall of great empires.

Western civilization has given us modern science, the wealth of free-market economics, the security of law, a sense of human rights and freedom, charity as a virtue, splendid art and music, philosophy grounded in reason, and innumerable other gifts we take for granted.

#1 New York Times Bestseller New York Times Readers’ Pick: Top 100 Books of the 21st Century The Summer Reading Pick for President Barack Obama and Bill Gates Official U.S. edition From renowned historian Yuval Noah Harari comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and...

This audiobook narrated by acclaimed archaeologist and best-selling author Eric Cline offers a breathtaking account of how the collapse of an ancient civilized world ushered in the first Dark Ages.

The author of Cod and The Basque History of the World takes an extraordinary look at an ordinary substance — salt, the only rock humans eat — and how it has shaped civilization from the very beginning. Mark Kurlansky has produced a kaleidoscope of history, a multi-layered masterpiece that blends economic, scientific, political, religious, and culinary records into a rich and memorable tale.

John Deming's Blueprint for a Spacefaring Civilization is a call to action for anyone who believes in the potential of humanity to create a better future. It introduces volitional science, a rigorous framework for human choice, cooperation, and progress inspired by his studies under Andrew Galambos. Thought-provoking and challenging, this social theory equips entrepreneurs, innovators, leaders, and social thinkers to build societies that propel humanity forward.

Why did some thinkers reshape the world—while others were forgotten? Do you wish you could understand the greatest philosophers without reading dozens of heavy books? Are you searching for a clear, engaging introduction to the lives and ideas that shaped human thought? If so, keep reading. First published nearly a century ago, The Story of Philosophy made complex ideas accessible to everyday readers. Will Durant's gift for storytelling brings history’s greatest minds to life—from ancient Egyptian sages to modern European philosophers. Now, this updated and revised edition restores ...

History books can lie. Rocks don’t; they tell us the real story. We have been taught that civilization began slowly—that the Ancient Egyptians were simple farmers who suddenly learned to stack millions of stones with copper chisels and hemp ropes. We are told the Great Pyramid was a tomb, the Sphinx is a portrait of a pharaoh, and the granite boxes of the Serapeum were for burying bulls. But the stone tells a different story. In The Forbidden Truth of Ancient Egypt, researcher Mohamed Elshenawy dismantles the official narrative—not with speculation, but with hard evidence. By ...

The inspiration for the Netflix series 3 Body Problem! WINNER OF THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL Over 1 million copies sold in North America “A mind-bending epic.”—The New York Times “War of the Worlds for the 21st century.”—The Wall Street Journal “Fascinating.”—TIME ...

The inspiration for the Netflix series 3 Body Problem! Over 1 million copies of the Three-Body Problem series sold in North America PRAISE FOR THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM SERIES: “A mind-bending epic.”—The New York Times “War of the Worlds for the 21st century.”—The Wall Street...

The inspiration for the Netflix series 3 Body Problem! Over 1 million copies of the Three-Body Problem series sold in North America PRAISE FOR THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM SERIES: “A mind-bending epic.”—The New York Times “War of the Worlds for the 21st century.”—The Wall Street...

THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE AN ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium. These fundamental materials have created empires, razed civilizations, and fed our ingenuity and greed for thousands of years. Without them, our modern world...

Based on a hugely popular Internet documentary, this exploration of historic signs and symbolism determines what the future holds for humanity come 2012. "If you believe there is no special significance to the year 2012, then prepare yourself for a guided tour through the most incredible...

Faced with the ceaseless stream of news about war, crime, and terrorism, one could easily think we live in the most violent age ever seen. Yet as New York Times bestselling author Steven Pinker shows in this startling and engaging new work, just the opposite is true: violence has been diminishing for millennia and we may be living in the most peaceful time in our species's existence.

The publication of Power vs. Force by Sir David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D., reveals to the general public secret information heretofore only shared by the author with certain Nobelists and world leaders. Analyzing the basic nature of human thought and consciousness itself, the author makes available to everyone the key to penetrating the last barrier to the advancement of civilization and science and resolving the most crucial of all human dilemmas.

What if the greatest threat to humanity wasn't an alien civilization...but humanity itself? In a future where towering mega-cities hide the decay of civilization beneath gleaming skylines, the Earth is united under a powerful world government promising peace, security, and prosperity. But beneath the polished surface lies corruption, oppression, and a growing darkness that few dare acknowledge. Jeremiah Berg is the last person anyone would expect God to call. A quiet Old Testament professor haunted by personal tragedy and struggling with his faith, Jeremiah wants nothing more than to be ...

He found the end of the world in a core sample. The message said: They're Coming Back. Eli Croft spent thirty years at the NSA reading signals that weren't supposed to exist. Now he's retired, alone on forty acres of Utah scrubland, and the most interesting problem in his life is amateur geology. Then core sample seven comes back wrong. The isotope gradients are too precise. Too consistent. Statistically impossible to be natural. Eli runs the analysis six more times. The anomaly doesn't go away — it gets sharper with better instruments. Someone built something in the rock. Sixty-five ...

From “one of America’s smartest and most charming writers” (NPR), an archaeological romp through the entire history of humankind—and through all five senses—from tropical Polynesian islands to forbidding arctic ice floes, and everywhere in between. Whether it’s the mighty pyramids of...

A 2026 Audie Awards finalist for Best Science Fiction! The inspiration for the Netflix series 3 Body Problem! This program is read by Jess Hong, who plays Jin Cheng in 3 Body Problem. Over 1 million copies of the Three-Body Problem series sold in North America. "[Jess] Hong, who stars in the...