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A compulsively readable collection of all the nastiest things that have afflicted mankind Tsunamis, earthquakes, floods,...
A compulsively readable collection of all the nastiest things that have afflicted mankind Tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, bird flu, international terrorism - the world seems to get more dangerous by the day. Or does it? John Withington's disturbing yet fascinating new book describes the worst things that have happened on Earth from the dawn of man to the present day. Part One chronicles all the major natural calamities - floods and earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes and typhoons, plague and famine. Part Two describes in compelling detail the greatest man-made disasters - war and invasion, air raids, massacres, riots and terrorism, fires and explosions, shipwrecks, and air and train crashes. John Withington takes the reader on an epic journey through the annals of the nastiest things to have afflicted mankind. Out of all this horror, he has somehow fashioned a compulsively readble and entertaining book. Author: John Withington ISBN:9780749909789
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We've all asked, "What is the world coming to?" But we seldom ask, "How bad was the world in the past?" In this startlin...
We've all asked, "What is the world coming to?" But we seldom ask, "How bad was the world in the past?" In this startling new book, the bestselling cognitive scientist Steven Pinker shows that the world of the past was much worse. In fact, we may be living in the most peaceable era yet. Evidence of a bloody history has always been around us: the genocides in the Old Testament and crucifixions in the New; the gory mutilations in Shakespeare and Grimm; the British monarchs who beheaded their relatives and the American founders who dueled with their rivals. Now the decline in these brutal practices can be quantified. Tribal warfare was nine times as deadly as war and genocide in the 20th century. The murder rate in medieval Europe was more than thirty times what it is today. Slavery, sadistic punishments, and frivolous executions were unexceptionable features of life for millennia, then were suddenly abolished. Wars between developed countries have vanished, and even in the developing world, wars kill a fraction of the numbers they did a few decades ago. Rape, hate crimes, deadly riots, child abuse - all substantially down.How could this have happened, if human nature has not changed? Pinker argues that the key to explaining the decline of violence is to understand the inner demons that incline us toward violence and the better angels that steer us away. Thanks to the spread of government, literacy, trade, and cosmopolitanism, we increasingly control our impulses, empathize with others, debunk toxic ideologies, and deploy our powers of reason to reduce the temptations of violence. Pinker will force you to rethink your deepest beliefs about progress, modernity, and human nature. This gripping book is sure to be among the most debated of the century so far. Author: Steven Pinker ISBN:9780141034645
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Spanning the origins of the Earth to the outcome of the First World War, this is a brilliantly compelling account of the...
Spanning the origins of the Earth to the outcome of the First World War, this is a brilliantly compelling account of the evolution of life and the development of the human race. Along the way, Wells considers such diverse subjects as the Neolithic era, the rise of Judaism, the Golden Age of Athens, the life of Christ, the rise of Islam, the discovery of America and the Industrial Revolution. Breathtaking in its scope and passionate in its intensity, this history remains one of the most readable of its kind. Author: H. G. Wells ISBN:9780141441825
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Winston Churchill's six-volume history of the cataclysm that swept the world remains the definitive history of the Secon...
Winston Churchill's six-volume history of the cataclysm that swept the world remains the definitive history of the Second World War. Lucid, dramatic, remarkable both for its breadth and sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, it is universally acknowledged as a magnificent reconstruction and is an enduring, compelling work that led to his being awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. Triumph and Tragedy recounts the dramatic months as the War drew to a close - the Normandy landings, the liberation of Western Europe, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the surrender of Germany and Japan. Author:Winston Churchill ISBN:9780141441771
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