WESTERN CIVILIZATION: A BRIEF HISTORY, Seventh Edition, maintains a firm grounding in political history, while covering intellectual history (particularly the significance of ideas and contributions) to a greater and deeper extent than any other text for the course. Author Marvin Perry's accessible writing style and flexible approach make this abridged version of WESTERN CIVILIZATION: IDEAS, POLITICS AND SOCIETY an engaging text for instructors and students of the Western Civilization survey course. The most significant addition for the Seventh Edition is the insertion in every chapter of a primary source that illuminates the narrative.
This is a collection of original works that had great philosophical and historical significance for each of the represented periods. Each work is preceded by a brief description that serves to contextualize the statements and opinions presented by the author(s). I've become interested in the changing attitudes about science throughout history (and more generally, changing attitudes regarding rationality and subconscious drives/desires). This collection features works by Freud, Nietzsche, Darwin, John Stuart Mill, Picasso, etc. It's great if you want a snapshot view of some of the relevant historical issues without going knee-deep into the original texts.
This is an amazing book. It is very well written and informative. The author includes historical back story, so the descriptions of history are very well rooted in many aspects of life from ancient times to the enlightenment.