Description: Origins of the Modern World sets out an analytical framework that is accessible to students while providing a global approach to world history. Remarkable in its presentation of global narratives in such a brief text. Marks's book has a strong emphasis on economic and environm...
Brief description: Robert B. Marks was Richard and Billie Deihl Professor of History at Whittier College and the author of China: Its Environment and History (R&L 2012) and Tigers, Rice, Silk, and Silt: Environment and Economy in Late Imperial China (CUP 1998). He is the recipient of Whittier College's Harry W. Nerhood Teaching Excellence Award.
Review Quotes:
"The fifth edition adds timely discussions of the two deadliest pandemics (1918 and 2019-23) and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The discussions highlight the reasons and repercussions of the two most recent global catastrophes connected with the larger framework of the book. Students who are keen to comprehend recent affairs will benefit from the additional coverage. The revision also adds three fascinating new sections titled "The China Shock," "The Financial Crisis of 2008 and the Ensuing 'Great Recession," and "Death of Despair." These three factors, according explain the rise in nationalist, anti-immigrant, and anti-China sentiments in today's United States. It is a persuasive argument that demonstrates to students the significance of historical perspective and well-rounded analysis from both the US and China viewpoints in understanding the current US vs. China conflict." --Xiaofei Gao, University of Colorado, Denver
"Terrific! It's far and away the best of its type I've found in over thirty years of teaching. It's clear, succinct, and yet wonderfully comprehensive. It brings together all the current thinking in world history in about as nice a package as can be imagined." --Paul Solon, Macalester College "By far the best of the current world history books on the market. Its main strengths lie in its non-Eurocentric viewpoint, its clear narrative, and its brevity. I would (and have) unreservedly recommended the book to colleagues teaching in the field as well as to others seeking a quick introduction to the history of the world." --Sarah Kovner, Columbia University