Maps of Time

By David Christian,

Book cover of Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History

Book description

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…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked Maps of Time as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This book attempts the seemingly impossible: to tell the Big Story from the very beginning, not just of our proto-species but of the universe itself, to the present, all in one volume, and have it not only make sense but actually have explanatory value.

One of the cover blurbs calls it “history at an unprecedented scale,” which is no exaggeration. It is a bravura act of synthesis and a page-turner, too.

Few thinkers have done more to advance and popularize the discipline of Big History in recent years than David Christian. He coined the term and has worked with Bill Gates to deliver Big History teaching to high school students around the world. The book I’ve picked out here is a little more academic and detailed than the others, and provides a really solid overview of this approach to integrating large-scale history from the Big Bang to the present. 

From Lewis' list on big history.

Want books like Maps of Time?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Maps of Time.

Browse books like Maps of Time

Book cover of Guns, Germs and Steel: A short history of everybody for the last 13,000 years
Book cover of The Human Web: A Bird's-Eye View of World History
Book cover of Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,491

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in philosophy, human evolution, and civilization?

Philosophy 1,787 books
Human Evolution 49 books
Civilization 225 books