ABSTRACT
This chapter explains why the domestication of animals and control of land were central developments that created society. It traces the development of modern civilization from Mesopotamia and Egypt to today. The chapter also explains the Greek and Roman origins of modern civilization and distinguishes several periods of the Middle Ages. It explores the importance of the Renaissance to modern civilization and analyses the Age of Revolutions. The chapter focuses on that whirlwind tour, covering millennia in half pages and considers the origins of Western culture as embodied in the social, political, and economic institutions that shape our modern society. A central development that created society as we know it today occurred when human beings learned that they could exercise control over the land and animals. This freedom from invasion combined with the warm, predictable climate and the fertile farmland of the Nile led to an extremely productive society that generated significant agricultural surpluses.
