Describing the patterns of human history, the archaeologist and historian Ian Morris offers surprising new answers to both questions. It is not, he reveals, differences of race or culture, or even the strivings of great individuals, that explain Western dominance. It is the effects of geography on the everyday efforts of ordinary people as they deal with crises of resources, disease, migration, and climate. As geography and human ingenuity continue to interact, the world will change in astonishing ways, transforming Western rule in the process.
Chapter 1: Before East and West
Chapter 2: The West Takes the Lead
Chapter 3: Taking the Measure of the Past
Chapter 4: The East Catches Up
Chapter 9: The West Catches Up
Chapter 11: Why the West Rules …
Appendix: On Social Development