From Then to Now: A Short History of the World (2011)

by Christopher Moore

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
39	9	265,297	(3.83)	11

Add to your library

Add to wishlist

all members

▾Members

Recently added by

buriedinprint, Sullywriter, ScoutJ, Felixelhombre, Phil-James, MLCathi, UDSLibrary, drummondmontessori, MrsMcg0522, tjhlibrary

numbers

show all

▾Tags

▾LibraryThing recommendations

Tom Thumb: The Remarkable True Story of a Man in Miniature by George Sullivan (2010)
Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Karen Blumenthal (2011)
Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer (2011)
Island's End by Padma Venkatraman (2011)
This Thing Called the Future by J.L. Powers (2011)

see more recommendations for this work

refresh

▾Member recommendations

None.

▾Will you like it?

▾Member reviews

date ▼ | votes

Showing 1-5 of 9 (next | show all)

At 184 pages, it is indeed a short history of the world. Moore begins with the hunter gatherers of 50,000 years ago and brings readers up to date. What's always interesting with books like these is to see what the author chooses to leave out of the narrative and it's obviously quite a bit. Moore does make a noble effort to include African, east Asian, Middle Eastern, and pre-Columbian history here, but the emphasis is still slanted toward western civilization. Considering the monumental task of trying to write a condensed world history for young people, Moore's effort is an admirable one. (

)

Sullywriter | Apr 3, 2013 |

I was glad to win a copy of this book even though when I applied I didn't realise it was for kids or young adults.
Although I'm a long way from being a young adult the book immediately appealed to me. An overview of world history that avoids an overly Euro-centric view and yet doesn't become too PC. Illustrated with watercolour paintings that avoid most of the stereotypes too, I wondered whether it would attract the ipod generation. I needn't have worried. My 12 year old son and 16 year old daughter both asked to read it after I was finished.

(

)

Phil-James | Mar 30, 2013 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

This is a solid book. The historical facts are accurate and well-written. The artwork is very nice. There wasn't a whole lot going on here that I didn't already know, but I did really enjoy the little tidbits of interesting information provided in colored boxes every few pages. At 184 pages, it was not an overwhelming read; however, at 184 pages, it was not terribly enlightening. And at 25cm tall and 21cm long, it's definitely a coffee-table book and not anything I think I would have found occasion to read otherwise. (

)

norabelle414 | Jan 15, 2012 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

All in all, a fairly balanced account of the history of the world. While I am sure everyone will have an opinion about what should have been included or excluded, Mr. Moore did hit all the major points, writing in a clear and readable style. Perhaps it will inspire young readers to learn more about areas in which they have a particular interest.

paeonia | Jul 31, 2011 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

As a Christian, I need to mention that the book does speak in terms of 50,000 years ago. This is only a problem for some but I thought I should mention it. Christopher Moore also mentions Charles Darwin but in a brief manner, which is appropriate considering how much history is contained in this short book. Like one of the other reviewers, my first thought was more illustrations, maps, and a timeline would've been great. History is always a difficult subject as there is always some conjecture and dates are somewhat fluid.
Mr. Moore did a wonderful job in deciding what to put in and has a very readable manner. He gave equal attention to the various religions of the time and it seemed accurate and balanced. This is important as I believe we should try to understand each others beliefs and where they came from.
As a homeschooler, you could give this to your Jr/Sr High student and have them read it and they would have a great overview of history. Maybe a summer read? (

)

TABrowne | Jun 8, 2011 |

date ▼ | votes

Showing 1-5 of 9 (next | show all)

▾Published reviews

no reviews | add a review

▾Other authors

» Add other authors

▾Work-to-work relationships

view history

▾Common Knowledge

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.

For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.

Series (with order)

Canonical title

From Then to Now: A Short History of the World

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

2011

People/Characters

Important places

Important events

Related movies

Awards and honors

Governor General's Literary Award (Children's Literature-Text, 2011)

Epigraph

Dedication

First words

Did you ever go farther than a car or motorboat could take you, to a place where you could see no lights, no roads?

Quotations

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Publisher series

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

Haiku summary

▾Book descriptions

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0887765408, Hardcover)

Just 50,000 years ago, our hunter-gatherer ancestors ventured off the African savannah and into the wider world. Now, our technology reaches far out into the cosmos. How did we get to where we are today?

With lively text and colorful illustrations, From Then to Now explains how individual societies struggled to find their own paths, despite war, disease, slavery, natural disasters, and the relentless growth of human knowledge. From Hammurabi to Henry Ford, from Incan couriers to the Internet, from the Taj Mahal to the Eiffel Tower, from Marco Polo to Martin Luther King, from Cleopatra to Catherine the Great, from boiled haggis to fried tarantulas – this is no less than the story of humanity. It’s the story of how we grew apart over all those years of migration and division, and how – as we recognize our common heritage and our often mixed ancestry – we can come together.

An index, maps, and notes make this a must-have reference, as well as a delight to read and to discuss. From Then to Now is bound to create a generation of history buffs!

(retrieved from Amazon Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:00:07 -0500)

▾Library descriptions

Traces human civilization from early bands of hunter-gatherers to the multicultural world cities of the present, covering the development of agriculture, empires, law, and the major religions, the rise of Europe, colonies, and industrialization.