Student Achievement Series: The Earth and Its Peoples is an innovative survey text and part of a program developed in partnership with teachers and students to meet the learning, study, and assessment goals necessary for student success. Through extensive research and focus groups conducted with a diverse cross-section of students, Houghton Mifflin presents a groundbreaking solution for skills mastery, understanding, and retention. Feedback from students has been instrumental in all aspects of development, from design and pedagogy to testing and assessment to title and cover. These elements culminate in a textbook program that reflects the way students learn and study best.As with all texts in this series, Student Achievement Series: The Earth and Its Peoples incorporates concise, to-the-point coverage; eliminates extraneous material; integrates pedagogy that reinforces key concepts; features a strong, supporting web component for review, testing, and assessment purposes; and provides students with real value for their educational dollar. Like the corresponding full-length version, Student Achievement Series: The Earth and Its Peoples takes a global approach to the study of world history. With its thematic focus on "environment and technology" and "diversity and dominance," the text offers a balanced perspective and a comparative approach.

Table of Contents:
Note: Each chapter includes a Conclusion, Key Terms, Suggested Reading, and Notes. 1. From the Origins of Agriculture to the First River-Valley Civilizations, 8000-1500 B.C.E. Before Civilization Mesopotamia Egypt The Indus Valley Civilization Diversity and Dominance: Violence and Order in the Babylonian New Year's Festival 2. New Civilizations in the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, 2200-250 B.C.E Early China, 2000-221 B.C.E. Nubia, 3100 B.C.E.-350 C.E. Celtic Europe, 1000-50 B.C.E. First Civilizations of the Americas: The Olmec and Chavin, 1200-250 B.C.E. Diversity and Dominance: Hierarchy and Conduct in the Analects of Confucius 3. The Mediterranean and Middle East, 2000-500 B.C.E. The Cosmopolitan Middle East, 1700-1100 B.C.E. The Aegean World, 2000-1100 B.C.E. The Assyrian Empire, 911-612 B.C.E. Israel, 2000-500 B.C.E. Phoenicia and the Mediterranean, 1200-500 B.C.E. Failure and Transformation, 750-550 B.C.E. 4. Greece and Iran, 1000-30 B.C.E. / India, 1500 B.C.E.-550 C.E. Ancient Iran The Rise of the Greeks The Struggle of Persia and Greece The Hellenistic Synthesis Foundations of Indian Civilization Indian Imperial Expansion and Collapse Diversity and Dominance: The Persian Idea of Kingship 5. An Age of Empires: Rome and Han China, 753 B.C.E.-330 C.E. Rome's Creation of a Mediterranean Empire, 753 B.C.E.-330 C.E. The Origins of Imperial China, 221 B.C.E.-220 C.E. Imperial Parallels 6. Networks of Communication and Exchange, 300 B.C.E.-600 C.E. The Silk Road The Sasanid Empire, 224-600 The Indian Ocean Maritime System Routes Across the Sahara Sub-Saharan Africa The Spread of Ideas Diversity and Dominance: The Indian Ocean Trading World 7. The Rise of Islam, 600-1200 The Origins of Islam The Rise and Fall of the Caliphate, 632-1258 Islamic Civilization Diversity and Dominance: Beggars, Con Men, and Singing-Girls 8. Christian Europe Emerges, 600-1200 The Byzantine Empire, 600-1200 Early Medieval Europe 600-1000 The Western Church Kievan Russia, 900-1200 Western Europe Revives 1000-1200 Crusades, 1095-1204 9. Central and Eastern Asia, 400-1200 The Sui and Tang Empires, 581-755 Fractured Power in Central Asia and China, to 907 The Emergence of East Asia, to 1200 10. Peoples and Civilizations of the Americas, 200-1500 Classic-Era Culture and Society in Mesoamerica, 200-900 The Postclassic Period in Mesoamerica, 900-1500 Northern Peoples Andean Civilizations, 200-1500 Diversity and Dominance: Burials as Historical Texts 11. Mongol Eurasia and Its Aftermath, 1200-1500 The Rise of the Mongols, 1200-1283 The Mongols and Islam, 1260-1500 Regional Responses in Western Eurasia Mongol Domination in China, 1271-1368 The Early Ming Empire, 1368-1500 Centralization and Militarism in East Asia, 1200-1500 12. Tropical Africa and Asia, 1200-1500 Tropical Lands and Peoples New Islamic Empires Indian Ocean Trade Social and Cultural Change 13. The Latin West, 1200-1500 Rural Growth and Crisis Urban Revival Learning, Literature, and the Renaissance Political and Military Transformations Diversity and Dominance: Persecution and Protection of Jews, 1272-1349 14. The Maritime Revolution, to 1550 Global Maritime Expansion Before 1450 Iberian Expansion, 1400-1550 Encounters with Europe, 1450-1550 Diversity and Dominance: Kongo's Christian King 15. Transformations in Europe, 1500-1750 Culture and Ideas Social and Economic Life Political Innovations 16. The Americas, the Atlantic, and Africa, 1530-1770 Spanish America and Brazil English and French Colonies in North America Plantations in the West Indies Creating the Atlantic Economy Africa and the Atlantic The Columbian Exchange Diversity and Dominance: Race and Ethnicity in the Spanish Colonies: Negotiating Hierarchy 17. Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean, 1500-1750 The Ottoman Empire The Safavid Empire The Mughal Empire Trade Empires in the Indian Ocean Diversity and Dominance: Islamic Law and Ottoman Rule 18. Northern Eurasia, 1500-1800 Japanese Reunification The Later Ming and Early Qing Empires The Russian Empire Comparative Perspectives 19. Revolutionary Changes in the Atlantic World, 1750-1850 Prelude to Revolution: War and the Enlightenment The American Revolution The French Revolution Revolution in Haiti and Latin America Economic and Social Liberation Movements 20. The Early Industrial Revolution, 1760-1851 Causes of the Industrial Revolution The Technological Revolution The Impact of the Industrial Revolution New Economic and Political Ideas Industrialization and the Nonindustrial World 21. Africa, India, and the New British Empire, 1750-1870 Changes and Exchanges in Africa India Under British Rule Britain's Eastern Empire 22. Land Empires in the Age of Imperialism, 1800-1870 The Ottoman Empire The Russian Empire The Qing Empire Diversity and Dominance: The French Occupation of Egypt 23. The New Power Balance, 1850-1900 New Technologies and the World Economy Social Transformations Nationalism and the Unification of Germany The Great Powers of Europe, 1871-1900 New Great Powers: The United States and Japan Diversity and Dominance: Marx and Engels on Global Trade and the Bourgeoisie 24. The New Imperialism, 1869-1914 The New Imperialism: Motives and Methods The Scramble for Africa Asia and Western Dominance Imperialism in Latin America The World Economy and the Global Environment Diversity and Dominance: Two Africans Recall the Arrival of the Europeans 25. The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929 Origins of the Crisis in Europe and the Middle East The "Great War" and the Russian Revolutions Peace and Dislocation in Europe China and Japan: Contrasting Destinies The New Middle East Society, Culture, and Technology in the Industrialized World 26. The Collapse of the Old Order, 1929-1949 Stalin's Revolution The Depression The Rise of Fascism East Asia, 1931-1945 The Second World War The Character of Warfare Diversity and Dominance: Women, Family Values, and the Russian Revolution 27. Striving for Independence: Africa, India, and Latin America, 1900-1949 Sub-Saharan Africa, 1900-1945 The Indian Independence Movement, 1905-1947 The Mexican Revolution, 1910-1940 Argentina and Brazil, 1900-1949 28. The Cold War and Decolonization, 1945-1975 The Cold War Decolonization and Nation Building Beyond a Bipolar World Diversity and Dominance: Race and the Struggle for Justice in South Africa 29. Crisis, Realignment, and the Dawn of the Post-Cold War World, 1975-1991 Postcolonial Crises and Asian Economic Expansion, 1975-1991 The End of the Bipolar World, 1989-1991 The Challenge of Population Growth Unequal Development and the Movement of Peoples Technological and Environmental Change Diversity and Dominance: The Struggle for Women's Rights in an Era of Global Political and Economic Change 30. Globalization at the Turn of the Millennium Global Political Economies Trends and Visions Global Culture