Suggestion for a comprehensive history book.

Hi,
This is Anurag. I am in search of a comprehensive history book on world history. Please suggest the best one to begin with. Gone through so many but could not continue with fervent interest.......

Chronicle of the World. Probably not in print any more.

Time-Life produced a fascinating series The Great Ages of Man.

Here is the series page: http://www.librarything.com/series/Time-Life%3A+Great+Ages+of+Man%3A+A+History+o...

When I introduced my daughter to them while she was in high school, she exclaimed "Why couldn't school textbooks be done so well?!"

Well - it depends on how academic you like your history -- and how detailed you want it.

So academic? Popular? More popular than academic? More academic than popular? Something else?
How detailed? Do you want history of every country in the world or do you want something more generic with just highlights of important events in countries?

Right now, I am just one stage after a beginner so I want to go more towards the academic side.

From the backgroud of natural sciences, if I am coming towards details of the pages of human history, I have only one wish to know, and that is how these events are important in terms of human evolution and thinking.

I would be glad if I find something to read that sheds light on the events from author's perspective (or based on logical thinking, little bit philosophical such that why that thing happened).