Review: World History for Dummies

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I usually like the "for dummies" books. World History for Dummies does contain a good overview of history on all the continents, but I wasn't too keen on the organization of the book. Perhaps because I'm used to history books that relay events in chronological order, I was put off by the way World History for Dummies jumps around in the timeline. Vague chapter headings like, "Founding Something Lasting" and, "Contending for World Domination" don't give you much of an idea what people the chapter is about and what time period it covers. To be fair, the subheadings do help, but even some of them are vague, such as, "Arriving as Bad Company" and "Wreaking Havoc".

World History for Dummies does work as a general background, and it is written in an easy to understand vernacular. If you are looking for an introduction to history and plan on reading it from start to finish, World History for Dummies is not a bad bet. It makes a poor reference book, however, because it can be difficult to find what you're looking for. A decent index is the only thing that keeps it from being totally obscure. For reference purposes, a chronological timeline of world events would probably be a better purchase.

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