A History of the World in 100 Objects

A History of the World in 100 Objects
Author: Neil MacGregor
Publsiher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 640
Release: 2011-10-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780141966830

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This book takes a dramatically original approach to the history of humanity, using objects which previous civilisations have left behind them, often accidentally, as prisms through which we can explore past worlds and the lives of the men and women who lived in them. The book's range is enormous. It begins with one of the earliest surviving objects made by human hands, a chopping tool from the Olduvai gorge in Africa, and ends with an object from the 21st century which represents the world we live in today. Neil MacGregor's aim is not simply to describe these remarkable things, but to show us their significance - how a stone pillar tells us about a great Indian emperor preaching tolerance to his people, how Spanish pieces of eight tell us about the beginning of a global currency or how an early Victorian tea-set tells us about the impact of empire. Each chapter immerses the reader in a past civilisation accompanied by an exceptionally well-informed guide. Seen through this lens, history is a kaleidoscope - shifting, interconnected, constantly surprising, and shaping our world today in ways that most of us have never imagined. An intellectual and visual feast, it is one of the most engrossing and unusual history books published in years.

History of the World in 1000 Objects

History of the World in 1000 Objects
Author: DK
Publsiher: Penguin
Total Pages: 480
Release: 2020-09-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780744036084

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Discover how humans created their world from the objects they left behind - from the US Constitution to the first iPhone - in DK's latest history book. From the beginning of human history, the one thing that has defined us is our talent for making things, from basic technology and everyday objects, such as bowls and hand axes, to high-tech inventions, such as supersonic aircraft, smart devices, and Mars rovers. Objects speak volumes about a civilization, telling us how our ancestors lived - as well as what they believed in and valued. A bronze cat mummy shows us how highly the ancient Egyptians valued their feline companions, while a mechanical tiger toy tells the story of rising tensions between an Indian sultan and European colonizers. With stunning, exclusive photography, History of the World in 1000 Objects shows you the objects that our ancestors treasured - from the jewelry worn by the Mesopotamians to the prized ritual vessels used by the people of the Shang Dynasty - and gives you insight into what gave each culture its own identity. From astrolabes and airplanes to vacuum cleaners and X-rays, DK uses its hallmark visual style to weave the extraordinary legacy of our creativity into a unique view of world history that will change the way you see the objects all around us.

A New History of the Future in 100 Objects

A New History of the Future in 100 Objects
Author: Adrian Hon
Publsiher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 381
Release: 2020-10-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780262539371

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Imagining the history of the twenty-first century through its artifacts, from silent messaging systems to artificial worlds on asteroids. In the year 2082, a curator looks back at the twenty-first century, offering a history of the era through a series of objects and artifacts. He reminisces about the power of connectivity, which was reinforced by such technologies as silent messaging—wearable computers that relay subvocal communication; recalls the Fourth Great Awakening, when a regimen of pills could make someone virtuous; and notes disapprovingly the use of locked interrogation, which delivers “enhanced interrogation” simulations via virtual reality. The unnamed curator quotes from a self-help guide to making friends with “posthumans,” describes the establishment of artificial worlds on asteroids, and recounts pro-democracy movements in epistocratic states. In A New History of the Future in 100 Objects, Adrian Hon constructs a possible future by imagining the things it might leave in its wake. Many of these things are just an update or two away: improved ankle monitors, for example, and deliverbots. Others may be the logical conclusions of current trends—“downvote” networks that identify and erase undesirables, and Glyphish, an emoticon-based language that supersedes the written word. More benign are Braid Collective, which provides financial support for artists, and Rechartered Cities, which invites immigrants to revitalize urban areas hollowed out by changing demographics. With this engaging and ingenious work, Hon leads the way into an imagined future while offering readers a new perspective on the present.

The History of the World

The History of the World
Author: John Morris Roberts,Odd Arne Westad
Publsiher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 1276
Release: 2013
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780199936762

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A survey of the major events, developments, and personalities that have shaped human history.

History of the World in 1 000 Objects

History of the World in 1 000 Objects
Author: DK
Publsiher: Penguin
Total Pages: 482
Release: 2014-10-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781465436634

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From the watch Napoleon used to synchronize with his generals at Waterloo and Chinese David vases believed to be the oldest example of blue and white porcelain to the US Constitution and the Mayan Dresden codex, the oldest book written in the Americas, History of the World in 1,000 Objects provides a completely fresh perspective on the history of the world. With objects revealing how our ancestors lived, what they believed and valued, and how these items helped shape civilization, History of the World in 1,000 Objects contains a treasure trove of human creativity from earliest cultures to the present day. Objects are grouped chronologically, under key themes, from art to the history of technology, and together help paint a unique picture that provides detailed insight into each culture. In addition to stunning specially-commissioned photographs, History of the World in 1,000 Objects includes timelines and maps that make it easy to compare how people lived at different times and in different parts of the world. Reviews of its print edition: "This vividly illustrated book provides a fresh perspective on world history by revealing how our ancestors lived through the objects they fashioned." - Longitude "[A] completely fresh perspective on the history of the world." - Releaselog "[A] treasure trove of human creativity from earliest cultures to the present day." - USA Today "Using human-made objects to explain world history is such a fun and interesting way to see how societies around the planet have evolved both culturally and technologically." - Winkbooks Award to its print edition: The National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) and the Children's Book Council's Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2015

A History of Women in 100 Objects

A History of Women in 100 Objects
Author: Professor Maggie Andrews,Dr Janis Lomas
Publsiher: The History Press
Total Pages: 538
Release: 2018-02-23
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780750987196

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The history of the world has been told in objects. But what about the objects that tell the history of women? What are the items that symbolise the journey of women from second-class citizens with no legal rights, no vote and no official status to the powerful people they are today? And what are the objects that still oppress women, even now? From the corset to the contraceptive pill, the bones of the first woman to Rosa Parks's mugshot and the iconic Mary Quant cape, A History of Women in 100 Objects documents the developing role of women in society through the lens of the inanimate objects that touched women's lives, were created by women or that at some time – perhaps even still – oppressed them. Woven by two leading historians, this complex, fascinating and vital tale of women and womanhood is told with a lightness of touch and depth of experience that will appeal to all those interested in women's history.

Shakespeare s Restless World

Shakespeare s Restless World
Author: Neil MacGregor
Publsiher: Penguin
Total Pages: 342
Release: 2013-10-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781101638118

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The New York Times bestselling author of A History of the World in 100 Objects brings the world of Shakespeare and the Tudor era of Elizabeth I into focus We feel we know Shakespeare’s characters. Think of Hamlet, trapped in indecision, or Macbeth’s merciless and ultimately self-destructive ambition, or the Machiavellian rise and short reign of Richard III. They are so vital, so alive and real that we can see aspects of ourselves in them. But their world was at once familiar and nothing like our own. In this brilliant work of historical reconstruction Neil MacGregor and his team at the British Museum, working together in a landmark collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the BBC, bring us twenty objects that capture the essence of Shakespeare’s universe. A perfect complement to A History of the World in 100 Objects, MacGregor’s landmark New York Times bestseller, Shakespeare’s Restless World highlights a turning point in human history. This magnificent book, illustrated throughout with more than one hundred vibrant color photographs, invites you to travel back in history and to touch, smell, and feel what life was like at that pivotal moment, when humankind leaped into the modern age. This was an exhilarating time when discoveries in science and technology altered the parameters of the known world. Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation map allows us to imagine the age of exploration from the point of view of one of its most ambitious navigators. A bishop’s cup captures the most sacred and divisive act in Christendom. With A History of the World in 100 Objects, MacGregor pioneered a new way of telling history through artifacts. Now he trains his eye closer to home, on a subject that has mesmerized him since childhood, and lets us see Shakespeare and his world in a whole new light.

History of the World in 100 Modern Objects

History of the World in 100 Modern Objects
Author: Francesca Hornak
Publsiher: Portico
Total Pages: 207
Release: 2015-10-15
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 9781911042051

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Since Spring 2013, Francesca Hornak has been writing a hugely popular column in the Sunday Times Style section, 'History of the World in 100 Modern Objects'. Featuring a different iconic object each week, the column explores contemporary middle-class life through the objects we fetishise. Each column is a little vignette about a different character, such as Izzy, who's 26 and interns at Kelly Hoppen and gets into a spat with her flatmate about a twee Oliver Bonas cake stand, Nick, 40, who's considering the safety aspects of his children's bike trailer and remembering his old DJing days, and Philippa, 64, who's tussling with her Sky TV remote after her divorce. Funny, charming and sometimes poignant, each column is an evocative slice of modern life. The columns are accompanied by crisp, colourful illustrations by the illustrator James Joyce, which make the book into a design object itself.