Why Europe? The Rise of the West in World History 1500-1850 » (1st Edition)

Part of McGraw-Hill's Explorations in World History series, this brief and accessible volume explores one of the biggest questions of recent historical debate: how among all of Eurasia’s interconnected centers of power, it was Europe that came to dominate much of the world. Author Jack Goldstone presents the argument as it stands in light of up-to-date research so that readers can come to understand the technological and economic inequalities between Europe and the rest of the world came to be and decide for themselves where the driving forces behind this phenomenon are taking us.

Introduction: Earth – A Global View

Chapter 1: The World circa 1500: When Riches Were in the East

Chapter 2: Patterns of Change in World History

Chapter 3: The Great Religions and Social Change

Chapter 4: Trade and Conquest

Chapter 5: Family Life and Standards of Living

Chapter 6: States, Laws, Taxes, and Revolutions

Chapter 7: Changing the Pace of Change: Was there an Industrial Revolution?

Chapter 8: Trajectories of Science in the East and the West

Conclusion: The Rise of the West – A Temporary Phase?