About Big History

Featuring a foreword by the father of Big History, David Christian, and produced in association with the Big History Institute, Big History provides a comprehensive understanding of the major events that have changed the nature and course of life on the planet we call home. This first fully integrated visual reference on Big History for general readers places humans in the context of our universe, from the Big Bang to virtual reality.

Why does the universe work the way it does? Why are stars so big? Why are humans so small? What does it mean to be human? Big History blends geology, biology, physics, anthropology, sociology, and so much more to tell one coherent story, taking us right back to our origins and exploring how a unique series of events led to and then impacted human existence: how everything came to be, where we fit in, and even where we are going. Graphics, artworks, timelines, and at-a-glance overviews make the causes and effects of pivotal events and major thresholds in Big History instantly accessible, and evidence features explain how we know what we know. An additional 64-page reference section provides a more conventional account of events in human history.

Placing humans in the context of our universe and revealing how and why we got to where we are today, Big History covers 13.8 billion years of history, from the formation of the universe and the dawn of time to the present day.

[美]大卫•克里斯蒂安（David Christian）

历史学者，毕业于牛津大学，在澳大利亚麦考瑞大学讲授世界史。从上个世纪80年代开始，他着手研究“大历史”理论。他现在是“大历史”教学领域的领军人物，担任国际大历史协会主席。

克里斯蒂安不仅在学术领域取得非凡成就，他还影响了大众读者对人类历史的全新认知。比尔•盖茨是他的忠实粉丝，斥资1000万美元将他的研究成果打造为“大历史教学项目”。克里斯蒂安还是一位公共演讲家，曾在TED、达沃斯论坛等平台，向人们传递这种全新的历史认知方式。在纽约《时代周刊》的报道中，他被比尔•盖茨称为“世界上最强大的人，我最崇拜的老师”。