The book has a unique status as anemblemof humanculture andcivilization. It is a vessel for sharing stories, dispersing knowledge, examining the nature of our extraordinary species and imagining what lies beyond our known world. Books ultimately provide an invaluable and comprehensive record of what it means to be human.

This volume takes a curated list offifty of the mostinfluentialbooks of all time, putting each into its historical context. From ancient game-changers like theEpic of Gilgamesh, throughsacred texts and works ofphilosophicalruminat on by the likes of Confucius and Plato, viascientific treatises,historic firsts (like the first printed book) andculturalworks of enduring impact (think Shakespeare, Cervantes and Joseph Heller), these are volumes that are at once both products of their societies and vital texts in moulding those same civilizations. It would take a lifetime and more to read and absorb all of them. But this volume allows you to become ridiculously well read in just a fraction of the time. This isnt a celebration of the canon, its about the books that have changed how we think and live and which havechangedthe course ofhistory.

A so available:
A Short History of the World in 50 Places (9781789291971)
A Short History of the World in 50 Animals (9781789292954)
A Short History of the World in 50 Failures (9781789296938)
A Short History of the World in 50 Lies (9781789294606)