Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity

(John Hannent) #1

This lecture has described some major features of the Modern Revolution
and described the strategy we will use in the next three lectures to explain
this remarkable transition. Ŷ


Christian, Maps of Time, chap. 11.


Cipolla, The Economic History of World Population.


McNeill, Something New Under the Sun, Introduction.


Mokyr, The Lever of Riches, chaps. 1, 2.



  1. What features distinguish the “Modern era” most decisively from the
    “era of Agrarian civilizations”?

  2. Is it possible to ¿ nd a better label than “Modern Revolution” to
    summarize the major transformations of the Modern era?


Essential Reading


Supplementary Reading


Questions to Consider

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