Bentley, Zeiger, and Streets (history, U. of Hawai'i and Washington State U.) present this text for high school and undergraduate courses in world history, de-emphasizing Western-centered perspective in favor of more global ones. Twenty-nine chronologically arranged chapters are organized under the larger epochs of the seven eras of global history, beginning with the early complex societies of 3500 to 500 B.C. The title of the book describes the themes that unify the book's content: the traditions of individual societies and the encounters, ideological and physical, among them. Each chapter is approximately 20 pages, and opens with a vignette to set the stage for the era in question. Additionally, each contains a written primary source, as well as dozens of maps and images. Chapters conclude with a chronology, a summary, and suggestions for further reading. Specific topics include: early African societies and the Bantu migrations, the empires of Persia, the realm of Islam, the foundations of Christian society, nomadic empires and Eurasian integration, the making of industrial society, and World Wars I and II. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less