Colin White, former Professor of Economics, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

'Colin White has produced a work of staggering scholarship. It is in every sense ''big history''. The narrative encompasses the entire span of human experience - as well as that of its hominid predecessors. It offers provocative and original insights into virtually all the forces that have shaped thousands of years of economic history - genetic, social, cultural, political and environmental. It is an intellectual tour de force which few others could have achieved.'--Robert Ash, SOAS, University of London, UK

• Contents: Preface Part I: Introduction 1. Finding a common economic pathway 2. Transitions and revolutions Part II: Beginnings: place and people 3. Changing contexts 4. The past within us 5. The dynamic forager Part III: The agricultural phase, from 15000 BC to AD 1800 6. Asking the wrong questions 7. The Agricultural Revolution: 15000 BC - 1 BC 8. Innovativeness in agrarian civilisations: 15000 BC – AD 1800 Part IV: Empires and the rise of agrarian civilisations 9. The emergence of complex political organisation 10. First civilisations 11. The rise of an eastern agrarian civilisation: China 12. Imperialism moves westward 13. Imperial structures and their finite lifetimes 14. A natural experiment - the Americas Part V: Commerce as an enabler of modern economic development 15. The building of a global world: trade systems before 1500 16. The circle completed: 1500-1800 17. The integration of the global economy: 1700-1900 18. Creative innovativeness in full bloom Part VI: The emergence of the modern economy 19. The inception of modern economic development 20. Stage one – the Industrial Revolution in Britain 21. More industrial revolutions 22. The Asian miracle? Part VII: Where are we at? 23. Stage two of modern economic development: the Service Revolution 24. Looking backwards in order to peer forwards Bibliography Index

Colin White, former Professor of Economics, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

'Colin White has produced a work of staggering scholarship. It is in every sense ''big history''. The narrative encompasses the entire span of human experience - as well as that of its hominid predecessors. It offers provocative and original insights into virtually all the forces that have shaped thousands of years of economic history - genetic, social, cultural, political and environmental. It is an intellectual tour de force which few others could have achieved.'--Robert Ash, SOAS, University of London, UK

• Contents: Preface Part I: Introduction 1. Finding a common economic pathway 2. Transitions and revolutions Part II: Beginnings: place and people 3. Changing contexts 4. The past within us 5. The dynamic forager Part III: The agricultural phase, from 15000 BC to AD 1800 6. Asking the wrong questions 7. The Agricultural Revolution: 15000 BC - 1 BC 8. Innovativeness in agrarian civilisations: 15000 BC – AD 1800 Part IV: Empires and the rise of agrarian civilisations 9. The emergence of complex political organisation 10. First civilisations 11. The rise of an eastern agrarian civilisation: China 12. Imperialism moves westward 13. Imperial structures and their finite lifetimes 14. A natural experiment - the Americas Part V: Commerce as an enabler of modern economic development 15. The building of a global world: trade systems before 1500 16. The circle completed: 1500-1800 17. The integration of the global economy: 1700-1900 18. Creative innovativeness in full bloom Part VI: The emergence of the modern economy 19. The inception of modern economic development 20. Stage one – the Industrial Revolution in Britain 21. More industrial revolutions 22. The Asian miracle? Part VII: Where are we at? 23. Stage two of modern economic development: the Service Revolution 24. Looking backwards in order to peer forwards Bibliography Index

Colin White, former Professor of Economics, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

'Colin White has produced a work of staggering scholarship. It is in every sense ''big history''. The narrative encompasses the entire span of human experience - as well as that of its hominid predecessors. It offers provocative and original insights into virtually all the forces that have shaped thousands of years of economic history - genetic, social, cultural, political and environmental. It is an intellectual tour de force which few others could have achieved.'--Robert Ash, SOAS, University of London, UK

• Contents: Preface Part I: Introduction 1. Finding a common economic pathway 2. Transitions and revolutions Part II: Beginnings: place and people 3. Changing contexts 4. The past within us 5. The dynamic forager Part III: The agricultural phase, from 15000 BC to AD 1800 6. Asking the wrong questions 7. The Agricultural Revolution: 15000 BC - 1 BC 8. Innovativeness in agrarian civilisations: 15000 BC – AD 1800 Part IV: Empires and the rise of agrarian civilisations 9. The emergence of complex political organisation 10. First civilisations 11. The rise of an eastern agrarian civilisation: China 12. Imperialism moves westward 13. Imperial structures and their finite lifetimes 14. A natural experiment - the Americas Part V: Commerce as an enabler of modern economic development 15. The building of a global world: trade systems before 1500 16. The circle completed: 1500-1800 17. The integration of the global economy: 1700-1900 18. Creative innovativeness in full bloom Part VI: The emergence of the modern economy 19. The inception of modern economic development 20. Stage one – the Industrial Revolution in Britain 21. More industrial revolutions 22. The Asian miracle? Part VII: Where are we at? 23. Stage two of modern economic development: the Service Revolution 24. Looking backwards in order to peer forwards Bibliography Index