New documents broaden geographical and topical coverage, introducing fresh perspectives on Latin America, Africa, the Islamic world, and Southeast Asia. New primary sources range from excerpts from the African epic of Sundiata and the hadith of Muhammad’s night journey to Zhou Daguan’s observations of the ancient Cambodian city of Angkor and an Italian immigrant’s letters from Argentina. The secondary source selections include new scholarship on the origins of Islam and new works by Jack Goldstone on the scientific revolution and Benjamin J. Kaplan on religious tolerance.
More images — such as woodcuts, historical maps, and political posters — reinforce for students the importance of visuals (and artifacts) as historical evidence. These documents are integrated into the chapters, suggesting connections for assignments and discussion.
New chapters in each volume on topics sure to engage students. Volume One includes new chapters on the Chinese and Roman empires; gender, sex, and love in the classical era; and the spread of Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam; Volume Two includes new chapters on the Cold War and on the environment.
New "Thinking Historically" exercises in each volume — "Finding Point of View in Word Selection: Asking about Author, Audience, and Agenda" and "Finding Characteristic Words, Ideas, or Images" in Volume One and "Determining How Knowledge Leads to Action" in Volume Two — provide students with additional tools for reading and analyzing sources. These and the other "Thinking Historically" exercises focus on developing a specific analytical skill appropriate for the documents and themes in each chapter.