A survey of world history from earliest times to the present, focusing on the role of ecology (climate, demography and agriculture) in the development of humankind. It also considers the role that technological innovation has played in humans' attempts to cope with the natural world.

This innovative survey of world history from earliest times to the present focuses on the role of four factors in the development of humankind: climate, communication and transportation technology, scientific advances, and the competence of political elites. Matossian moves chronologically through fifteen historic periods showing how one or more of the causative factors led to significant breakthroughs in human history. Shaping World History is based on original research and also draws widely from the literature on the history of science, technology, climate, agriculture, and historical epidemiology. This compelling analysis is presented in a personal style and includes reflections on how things work and why they are important.

Part 1 Introduction - Major Causes of Breakthroughs: Climatic Changes
Technologies of Communication and Transportation
The Competence of Political Elites
Scientific Progress. Part 2 From Hominids to Humans - Biology, Geography and Climatic Change: Anthropology and Prehistory
Geography and Prehistory
How Climatic Changes are Reconstructed. Part 3 The First Farmers: The Origins of Agriculture
Mouldy Food and Mortality
Agriculture in Other Regions
Metallurgy, Pre-Writing and Trade
Transportation Technology and Trade
Toward the Birth of Civilizations. Part 4 The Birth of "Civilization" 3000-500 BC: Ploughing and Irrigation
The Invention of Writing in Eurasia
Social Control
Climatic Change for the Worse
Political Decentralization and Colonization
Bronze Metallurgy
Iron Metallurgy
Conclusion. Part 5 The Roman Empire and the Han Empire, 200 BC to AD 200: Population Trends
Political Organization
Political Thinking
Climatic Changes
Industrial Technology
Communication Technology
Transportation Technology
The Struggle for Character
Imperial Decline
Conclusion. Part 6 The Chinese Millennium, AD 500-1500: Climatic Change and Population History
Technological Improvements, 500-1000
1000-1300
1300-1500
The Decline of Chinese Inventiveness. Part 7 Reasoned Dissent - Printing, Universities and Transport: Mediaeval Universities and Reasoned Dissent
Printing with Movable Type
Urban Development and Transportation Technology. Part 8 Protestant Maritime Political Culture - the Breakthrough to Freedom: The Contrast with Mediaeval Feudal Monarchies
Continental Political Culture
Protestant Maritime Political Culture
An Example - The Society of Friends
How Did Protestant Maritime Political Culture Emerge?
Advantages of Protestant Maritime Political Culture
Conclusion. Part 9 The Scientific Revolution of the 17th Century: Copernicus
Galileo
Kepler
Newton. Part 10 The Population Explosion, 1700-1900: Origins of the Population Explosion
Climatic Change
Dietary Changes
Transportation and Trade
European Mortality Decline in the 19th Century
European Fertility Decline, 1875-1914
China's Population Explosion
Conclusion. Part 11 The Industrial Revolution in Britain: The Search for Explanations
Key Inventions in the Industrial Revolution
Progress in Chemistry and Physics
Communication at the Speed of Light
Conclusion. Part 12 Social Control Since 1789: Political Cultures and Literacy
The French Revolution of 1789 - Origins and Consequences
Nationalism
Democracy
Systematic Cooption
Social Control After 1918
Conclusion. Part 13 Darwin's Dangerous Idea: The Importance of Geology
Evolutionary Thinking in Darwin's Time
Early Life of Darwin
Why Darwin's Idea was Dangerous. Part 14 Breakthroughs in Science and Technology: The Influence of Steam Transportation
The Marriage of Science and Technology
Electricity in Industry
Industrial Chemistry
The Internal Combustion Engine
Conclusion. Part 15 (Part contents)