The Human Journey offers a truly concise yet satisfyingly full history of the world from ancient times to the present. The book's scope, as the title implies, is the whole story of humanity, in planetary context. Its themes include not only the great questions of the humanities-nature versus nurture, the history and meaning of human variation, the sources of wealth and causes of revolution-but also the major transformations in human history: agriculture, cities, iron, writing, universal religions, global trade, industrialization, popular government, justice, and equality.

In each conceptually rich chapter, Kevin Reilly concentrates on a single important period and theme, sustaining a focused narrative and analytical perspective. Free of either a confined, limiting focus or a mandatory laundry list of topics, this book begins with our most important questions and searches all of our past for answers. Well-grounded in the latest scholarship, this is not a fill-in-the-blanks text, but world history in a grand humanistic tradition.

An instructor's manual includes questions for classroom discussion, substance exam questions, evaluative questions, critical thinking questions, and multiple choice questions, also available in a test-bank format.