| ID | 024342 |
| Call Number | 909/CHR |
| Title Proper | Origin story: a big history of everything |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Christian, David |
| Publication | London, Allen Lane, 2018. |
| Description | x, 257p Grey spine |
| Note | This is the epic story of the universe and our place in it, from 13.8 billion years ago to the remote future. How did we get from the Big Bang to today's staggering complexity, in which seven billion humans are connected into networks powerful enough to transform the planet? And why, in comparison, are our closest primate relatives reduced to near-extinction? Big History creator David Christian gives the answers in a mind-expanding cosmological detective story told on the grandest possible scale. He traces how, during eight key thresholds, the right conditions have allowed new forms of complexity to arise, from stars to galaxies, Earth to homo sapiens, agriculture to fossil fuels. This last mega-innovation gave us an energy bonanza that brought huge benefits to mankind, yet also threatens to shake apart everything we have created. This global origin story is one that we could only begin to tell recently, thanks to the underlying unity of modern knowledge. Panoramic in scope and thrillingly told, Origin Story reveals what we learn about human existence when we consider it from a universal scale. Most historians study the smallest slivers of time, emphasizing specific dates, individuals, and documents. But what would it look like to study the whole of history, from the big bang through the present day -- and even into the remote future? How would looking at the full span of time change the way we perceive the universe, the earth, and our very existence? These were the questions David Christian set out to answer when he created the field of "Big History," the most exciting new approach to understanding where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. In "Origin Story", Christian takes readers on a wild ride through the entire 13.8 billion years we've come to know as "history." By focusing on defining events (thresholds), major trends, and profound questions about our origins, Christian exposes the hidden threads that tie everything together -- from the creation of the planet to the advent of agriculture, nuclear war, and beyond. With stunning insights into the origin of the universe, the beginning of life, the emergence of humans, and what the future might bring, "Origin Story" boldly reframes our place in the cosmos. |
| Note | Machine generated contents note: pt. I COSMOS
ch. 1 In the Beginning: Threshold 1
ch. 2 Stars and Galaxies: Thresholds 2 and 3
ch. 3 Molecules and Moons: Threshold 4
pt. II BIOSPHERE
ch. 4 Life: Threshold 5
ch. 5 Little Life and the Biosphere
ch. 6 Big Life and the Biosphere
pt. III US
ch. 7 Humans: Threshold 6
ch. 8 Farming: Threshold 7
ch. 9 Agrarian Civilizations
ch. 10 On the Verge of Today's World
ch. 11 The Anthropocene: Threshold 8
pt. IV THE FUTURE
ch. 12 Where Is It All Going?.
Part I: Cosmos. In the beginning: Threshold 1 ; Stars and galaxies: Thresholds 2 and 3 ; Molecules and moons: Threshold 4
Part II: Biosphere. Life: Threshold 5 ; Little life and the biosphere ; Big life and the biosphere
Part III: Us. Humans: Threshold 6 ; Farming: Threshold 7 ; Agrarian civilization ; On the verge of today's world ; The Anthropocene: Threshold 8
Part IV: The future. Where is it all going? |
| Standard Number | 9780241338377 |
| Price. Qualification | Rs.699(Pb) |
| Classification Number | 909 |
| Key Words | IGCSE ; Human evolution ; Cosmology ; UOI - Evolution ; Biocomplexity ; Civilization - Philosophy ; World history |