The West: Encounters and Transformations takes a new approach to telling the story of Western Civilization.
Rather than looking at Western Civilization only as the history of Europe from ancient times to the present, this groundbreaking book examines the changing nature of the West―how the definition of the West has evolved and transformed throughout history. It explores the ways Western civilization has changed as a result of cultural encounters with different beliefs, ideas, technologies, and peoples, both outside the West and within it. Presenting a balanced treatment of political, social, religious, and cultural history, this new text emphasizes the ever-shifting boundaries of the geographic and cultural realm of the West, with special attention given to Eastern Europe and the Muslim world, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
"I enjoyed every page and could hardly put it down."
―Patricia Ali, Morris College
"I am impressed by the cultural encounters approach that this textbook uses. Showing the various forces of history [will] help students understand how everything in history meshes together into a giant story, instead of just being a jumble of facts."
―Leonard Curtis, Mississippi College
"The authors are absolutely right-on when they argue that the west is an idea shaped by cultural encounters...this is the only way that western civilization courses can be taught in the 21st century."
―Bryan Ganaway, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
"The author(s) have done an outstanding job of writing a text that is...lucid...and comprehensive."
―Sharon L. Arnoult, Midwestern State University
"Too many texts are afraid to be interesting, engaging or to tell a good story...this textbook provides comprehensive coverage of events and also tells some good stories, nice to see that this can be done in a textbook today. This is the kind of textbook that helps make a course interesting, helping professors who have trouble being lively and supporting those who try to engage students with good stories based in different methods, countries, and areas of interest."
―Patrick Holt, Fordham University
"The writing style is friendly, warm, and persuasive. Students will want to read these chapters and continue reading them."
―Theodore M. Kluz, Troy State University
"Finally, a textbook for Western civilization courses that uses modern, clear language without distorting the record of the past, that combines forceful interpretation with the 'facts' and that marries brevity to faithfulness to history! The 'encounters' theme is a most effective pedagogical method, and is in keeping with the approach of the West being a cultural construct. This is an innovative approach, appropriate for today's students living in our global world."
―Arthur H. Auten, University of Hartford
