We are only a brief second in the long history of the universe; many things have preceded us to make us the most complex creatures that ever walked the Earth. We are a “new level of complexity” which makes us different from all other creatures that have come before us. Our species has only been around for 250,000 years, a short time compared to the formation of the Earth at 4.5 billion years ago and the creation of the Universe at 13.7 billion years ago, but the time we have had on this Earth has greatly affected the outcome of history. In an attempt to provide an overview of human history in his book This Fleeting World, David Christian introduces it in the context of the history of the universe and then systematically breaks it down
The Modern Era is the shortest but most important era of human history. It has shaped today’s world. Many major powers were formed and later collapsed while others are still around today. Governments started working harder to keep its citizens happy so they would not rebel. Industrialization occurred and humans had their first profound impact on the environment that helped cause global warming. Humans began to significantly manipulate the environment. Sanitation and healthcare improved and people began to live in urban areas. For the first time in history, women were given equal rights of men. Also, racial discrimination ended with apartheid in South Africa and desegregation in the U.S. Strong nationalism is characteristic of this era which can be seen during the Olympic Completion, however, in the 1900’s, it erupted in World War I which led to World War II. After that, two main powers emerged, the United States and the U.S.S.R. In a Cold War that lasted half a century with a constant threat of nuclear war, the U.S. prevailed over the U.S.S.R. and capitalism became the dominant economic system instead of communism. Humans have progressed over the millennia and now can determine the fate of themselves and the world; we are in control of our environment. Christian does an excellent job in setting up the book to tell the history of the world. He starts out telling about the