Why does the West rule? In this magnum opus, eminent Stanford polymath Ian Morris answers this provocative question, drawing on 50,000 years of history, archeology, and the methods of social science, to make sense of when, how, and why the paths of development differed in the East and West — and what this portends for the 21st century. There are two broad schools of thought on why the West rules. Proponents of "Long-Term Lock-In" theories such as Jared Diamond suggest that from time immemorial, some critical factor — geography, climate, or culture perhaps — made East and West unalterably different, and determined that the industrial revolution would happen in the West and push it further ahead of the East. But the East led the West between 500 and 1600, so this development can't have been inevitable; and so proponents of "Short-Term Accident" theories argue that Western rule was a temporary aberration that is now coming to an end, with Japan, China, and India resuming their rightful places on the world stage. However, as the West led for 9,000 of the previous 10,000 years, it wasn't just a temporary aberration. So, if we want to know why the West rules, we need a whole new theory. Ian Morris, boldly entering the turf of Jared Diamond and Niall Ferguson, provides the broader approach that is necessary, combining the textual historian's focus on context, the anthropological archaeologist's awareness of the deep past, and the social scientist's comparative methods to make sense of the past, present, and future — in a way no one has ever done before.
Uses four factors--energy capture per capita, organization, information technology and war-making capacity--to attempt to show which world regions were the most powerful throughout all of human history.
This study of the changing relationships between burial rituals and social structure in Early Iron Age Greece will be required reading for all archaeologists working with burial evidence, in whatever period. This book differs from many topical studies of state formation in that unique and particular developments are given as much weight as those factors which are common to all early states. The ancient literary evidence and the relevant historical and anthropological comparisons are extensively drawn on in an attempt to explain the transition to the city-state, a development which was to have decisive effects for the subsequent development of European society.
The chief purpose of this book is to show how burials may be used as a uniquely informative source for Greek and Roman social history. Burials permit a far wider range of inference and insight than the literary texts produced by and for a narrow social elite, and by studying them in depth Dr. Morris is able to offer new interpretations of social change in Graeco-Roman antiquity. The major interdisciplinary importance of the book lies in its attempt to break down barriers between archaeologists and historians of different societies and cultures.
When Bad Things Happen to Rich People is a novel of social satire, a black comedy set in Chicago in the summer of 1995. The novel's protagonist, Nix Walters, is an adjunct instructor of English at a communications college in the loop with few prospects for advancement. He had become a literary punch line when his novel, touted as the next big literary phenomenon, was universally panned by critics. He and his pregnant wife, Flora, are struggling financially; however, their fortunes change when Nix is asked to ghostwrite the memoirs of publishing magnate Zira Fontaine. While grateful for a lavish author fee, Nix quickly finds his marriage, his career, and his sense of identity threatened as he struggles with a difficult subject, navigates office intrigue of Fontaine's corporation, and faces impending fatherhood. These tensions come to a turbulent climax when a brutal heat wave hits the city. Written in the spirit of great naturalist novelists of the previous century, such as Dreiser, Norris, and Crane, with a black comic twist, Morris's first novel is a study in aspiration and self-deception in the face of unforeseen adversity. Set among the broad lawns of Lake Forest where the domestic staff skim leaves from the pool and the sweltering streets of Chicago's pre-gentrified Wicker Park neighborhood, where children plunge into the raging stream of open fire hydrants, When Bad Things Happen to Rich People is a broad panorama of our current social reality.
For courses in Greek History or Greek Civilization. Organised chronologically, this text presents a complete picture of Greek civilization as a history. It features sections on the art, architecture, literature, and thought of each period. This text presents students with the history of Greece from the prehistoric through the Mycenaean Period, the Dark Ages, the Classical Period, the Hellenistic, and the absorption of Greek culture by Rome. The full text downloaded to your computer With eBooks you can: search for key concepts, words and phrases make highlights and notes as you study share your notes with friends eBooks are downloaded to your computer and accessible either offline through the Bookshelf (available as a free download), available online and also via the iPad and Android apps. Upon purchase, you'll gain instant access to this eBook. Time limit The eBooks products do not have an expiry date. You will continue to access your digital ebook products whilst you have your Bookshelf installed.
For courses in Greek History or Greek Civilization. Organized chronologically, this text presents a complete picture of Greek civilization as a history. It features sections on the art, architecture, literature, and thought of each period. This text presents students with the history of Greece from the prehistoric through the Mycenaean Period, the Dark Ages, the Classical Period, the Hellenistic, and the absorption of Greek culture by Rome.
The best-selling author of Why the West Rules—for Now examines the evolution and future of human values Most people in the world today think democracy and gender equality are good, and that violence and wealth inequality are bad. But most people who lived during the 10,000 years before the nineteenth century thought just the opposite. Drawing on archaeology, anthropology, biology, and history, Ian Morris explains why. Fundamental long-term changes in values, Morris argues, are driven by the most basic force of all: energy. Humans have found three main ways to get the energy they need—from foraging, farming, and fossil fuels. Each energy source sets strict limits on what kinds of societies can succeed, and each kind of society rewards specific values. But if our fossil-fuel world favors democratic, open societies, the ongoing revolution in energy capture means that our most cherished values are very likely to turn out not to be useful any more. Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels offers a compelling new argument about the evolution of human values, one that has far-reaching implications for how we understand the past—and for what might happen next. Originating as the Tanner Lectures delivered at Princeton University, the book includes challenging responses by classicist Richard Seaford, historian of China Jonathan Spence, philosopher Christine Korsgaard, and novelist Margaret Atwood.
Lynne Adcock shares her expert knowledge on the secret life of Austra lian frogs. This practical Wild Australia Guide introduc es Australia's various frog and toad families, informs about where they live and their life cycles and provides the answer to why so many of the se beautiful and fascinating creatures are threatened with extinction. H igh quality photographs and up-to-date information on appearance, behavi our and distribution make this book perfect for anyone who has ever wond ered about the intriguing lives of frogs, or needs guidance on knowing w here to spot them, or wants to understand how to care for them in our en vironment. With a systematic organisation of authoritative inform ation including key facts, scientific terms, a full glossary and index f or reference, this is the must-have guide for anyone interested in, or w anting to know more, about Australia's amazing frogs.
War is one of the greatest human evils. It has ruined livelihoods, provoked unspeakable atrocities and left countless millions dead. It has caused economic chaos and widespread deprivation. And the misery it causes poisons foreign policy for future generations. But, argues bestselling historian Ian Morris, in the very long term, war has in fact been a good thing. In his trademark style combining inter-disciplinary insights, scientific methods and fascinating stories, Morris shows that, paradoxically, war is the only human invention that has allowed us to construct peaceful societies. Without war, we would never have built the huge nation-states which now keep us relatively safe from random acts of violence, and which have given us previously unimaginable wealth. It is thanks to war that we live longer and more comfortable lives than ever before.And yet, if we continue waging war with ever-more deadly weaponry, we will destroy everything we have achieved; so our struggles to manage warfare make the coming decades the most decisive in the history of our civilisation. In War: What Is It Good For? Morris brilliantly dissects humanity's history of warfare to draw startling conclusions about our future.
In the wake of Brexit, Ian Morris chronicles the ten-thousand-year history of Britain's relationship to Europe as it has changed in the context of a globalizing world. When Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, the 48 percent who wanted to stay and the 52 percent who wanted to go each accused the other of stupidity, fraud, and treason. In reality, the Brexit debate merely reran a script written ten thousand years earlier, when the rising seas physically separated the British Isles from the European continent. Ever since, geography has been destiny—yet it is humans who get to decide what that destiny means. Ian Morris, the critically acclaimed author of Why the West Rules—for Now, describes how technology and organization have steadily enlarged Britain’s arena, and how its people have tried to turn this to their advantage. For the first seventy-five hundred years, the British were never more than bit players at the western edge of a European stage, struggling to find a role among bigger, richer, and more sophisticated continental rivals. By 1500 CE, however, new kinds of ships and governments had turned the European stage into an Atlantic one; with the English Channel now functioning as a barrier, England transformed the British Isles into a United Kingdom that created a worldwide empire. Since 1900, thanks to rapid globalization, Britain has been overshadowed by American, European, and—increasingly—Chinese actors. In trying to find its place in a global economy, Britain has been looking in all the wrong places. The ten-thousand-year story bracingly chronicled by Geography Is Destiny shows that the great question for the current century is not what to do about Brussels; it’s what to do about Beijing.
John's Gospel contains words that, for many Christians, are some of the most familiar and best loved in the Bible. However, many scholars have long held the view that it is historically unreliable and is a theological work presenting views that evolved as Christianity spread in the first century. This book will challenge and interest both those with a conservative view and those with a radical view of the New Testament. Using an easily accessible style, it argues from a critical approach that, as the Gospel itself asserts, it is a 'true witness.' Examining the New Testament reveals reasons for believing that John's Gospel is one of the earliest pieces of Christian writing, and it represents the teaching of the closest of Jesus' friends, the Apostle John. The peculiarities of the Gospel are a consequence of John's passion to persuade people that believing in Jesus can transform their lives. The message is not the teaching of Jesus, the message 'is' Jesus. This is the belief that the Gospel wishes to share; it was written for faith.
This study of the changing relationships between burial rituals and social structure in Early Iron Age Greece will be required reading for all archaeologists working with burial evidence, in whatever period. This book differs from many topical studies of state formation in that unique and particular developments are given as much weight as those factors which are common to all early states. The ancient literary evidence and the relevant historical and anthropological comparisons are extensively drawn on in an attempt to explain the transition to the city-state, a development which was to have decisive effects for the subsequent development of European society.
This updated edition is a theoretical and practical guide to implementing a well-being programme in your school. The book covers three areas: well-being as a philosophy of education, the teaching approach to well-being and the content that might form a well-being programme in a school. It is also a manifesto for a meaningful aim to education. There has recently been an explosion of interest in positive psychology and the teaching of well-being and 'happiness' in the PSHE world in schools and many teachers are looking for clear information on how to implement these potentially life-changing ideas in the classroom. This book provides an introduction to the theory of positive psychology and a practical guide on how to implement the theory in (primarily secondary) schools. It is written by Ian Morris who worked under Anthony Seldon at Wellington College which is well-known for its well-being and happiness curriculum.
Teaching Character in the Primary Classroom provides an excellent and very accessible overview of the emerging field of character education. It covers, in detail, the theory of character education as well as advice and guidance about how this should be applied in practice in primary schools." Professor James Arthur, University of Birmingham Character matters. As more and more schools are choosing to teach Character Education, trainee and beginning teachers need to know more. What is Character Education? Can it really be ′taught′? How does children′s learning benefit from discussions around character in the classroom? How do I teach it? What does good teaching of Character Education look like in the classroom? Teaching Character Education in Primary schools tackles these questions, and many more. This is a practical guide to why and how we can teach character in primary schools. It begins by exploring why character matters and considers what ′character′ is and (importantly) what it is not. It goes on to discuss the place for teaching character in primary education and includes practical guidance on how it can be taught. The text also looks at character beyond the classroom, how parents and the wider community can be included in the teaching of character and how outdoor learning and education can contribute. This book is written for all those who are new to teaching character.
A powerful and provocative exploration of how war has changed our society--for the better "War! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, " says the famous song--but archaeology, history, and biology show that war in fact has been good for something. Surprising as it sounds, war has made humanity safer and richer. In War! What Is It Good For? the renowned historian and archaeologist Ian Morris tells the gruesome, gripping story of fifteen thousand years of war, going behind the battles and brutality to reveal what war has really done to and for the world. Stone Age people lived in small, feuding societies and stood a one-in-ten or even one-in-five chance of dying violently. In the twentieth century, by contrast--despite two world wars, Hiroshima, and the Holocaust--fewer than one person in a hundred died violently. The explanation: war, and war alone, has created bigger, more complex societies, ruled by governments that have stamped out internal violence. Strangely enough, killing has made the world safer, and the safety it has produced has allowed people to make the world richer too. War has been history's greatest paradox, but this searching study of fifteen centuries of violence suggests that the next half century is going to be the most dangerous of all time. If we can survive it, the age-old dream of ending war may yet come to pass. But, Morris argues, only if we understand what war has been good for can we know where it will take us next"--
There has recently been an explosion of interest in positive psychology and the teaching of well-being and 'happiness' in the PSHE world in schools and many teachers are looking for clear information on how to implement these potentially life-changing ideas in the classroom. This book provides an introduction to the theory of positive psychology and a practical guide on how to implement the theory in (primarily secondary) schools. The American psychologist and writer Martin Seligman, well known for his work on the idea of 'learned helplessness', has more recently been working in the field of positive psychology. He has led training in resilience in a number of UK local authorities. Wellington College, where Ian Morris is head of philosophy, religion and PSHE, is among the first UK schools to introduce a formal well-being and happiness curriculum developed by the author.
This volume is the first English-language survey of Homeric studies to appear for more than a generation, and the first such work to attempt to cover all fields comprehensively. Thirty leading scholars from Europe and America provide short, authoritative overviews of the state of knowledge and current controversies in the many specialist divisions in Homeric studies. The chapters pay equal attention to literary, mythological, linguistic, historical, and archaeological topics, ranging from such long-established problems as the "Homeric Question" to newer issues like the relevance of narratology and computer-assisted quantification. The collection, the third publication in Brill's handbook series, The Classical Tradition, will be valuable at every level of study - from the general student of literature to the Homeric specialist seeking a general understanding of the latest developments across the whole range of Homeric scholarship.
The 95th Bomb Group (Heavy), the most highly decorated bomb group of World War II, participated in every major mission of the war in Europe from May 1943 through the warÆs end and was awarded an unprecedented three Presidential Unit Citations. Flying the celebrated B-17 Flying Fortress, the 95th was the first U.S. bomb group to bomb Berlinùa feat that put it on the centerfold of Life magazineùand the last group to lose a plane over Europe in World War II. Over six hundred men in the 95th never came home. The Wild Blue Yonder and Beyond is the first book to cover a World War II bomb group from its inception through the present day. Utilizing interviews with nearly a hundred air war veterans, dozens of unpublished crew memoirs, all the bomb groupÆs official mission reports from the National Archives, and nearly a hundred other sources, author Rob Morris (assisted by air war historian Ian Hawkins) provides a deep tactical and human understanding of the group. Also included are the stories of the veteransÆ wives and families, who fought a different kind of war at home, and the residents of Horham, whose tiny English village was suddenly on the warÆs front lines. Intensely human, exhaustively researched, and lovingly told, this book is certain to be a classic in the field and a resource for anyone interested in the workings of a World War II bomb group.
`This edition is more focussed on the leadership demands of managers both within the school and its community. This book can be used as a source of reference for anyone on a school manager position, written by people who practice management on educational organizations themselves, it deals with the fundamentals of what management is the many roles of the manager′ - Headteacher Update `The book is clearly structured, with an informative table to contents. Each chapter ends with practical tasks which could be sued either by an individual at home or by groups in a training session. The book is worth adding to any staffroom library for the section of "time-management techniques" alone. If only I has acquired the habit of "starting each day by writing list of all the things that should be done that day and starring them to indicate importance" in recognition that "the critical distinction is between what is urgent and what is important"!′ - Education Review `This book provides a thoroughly comprehensive guide to managing staff, meetings, motivating people, managing conflict, health and safety and much more′ - Nursery Equipment This popular book has been thoroughly updated for its Fourth Edition. Targeting the contents directly to the needs of today′s school manager. The book is now even more directed towards the leadership demands on managers, both within the school and in its community setting. New sections have been written to deal with emerging pressures on heads: - the increasing complexity of employment legislation - the management of risk - performance management - flexibility in the curriculum - the inclusion agenda - team development and leadership - the effect of the government′s new approach to early years education. Recent research and developments have been incorporated and the content has been extensively updated. The authors′ fresh and readable style, coupled with their use of proven interactive exercises, makes the book a first choice for busy heads and senior staff in all schools.
In 480 BCE, 300 Spartan soldiers sacrificed themselves so that Greece would unite against the Persian invasion. This is the story of Leonidas I, the man who led them. Readers experience the rich culture of this ancient Greek city-state, a domain notorious for its intellectualism and diplomatic prowess. Readers will learn about how Leonidas I furthered democracy while maintaining the prosperity of his people, even in the face of adversity. Santillian and Macgregor Morris team up to prove that there is much more to Sparta than its magnificent military might.
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