Big History and the Future of Humanity presents an originaltheoretical approach that makes big history the placing of the human past within the history of life, theEarth, and the Universe -- accessible to general readers whilerevealing insights into what the future may hold forhumanity.

“Big History” places the human past within the history of life, the Earth, and the Universe. In doing so, this emerging field of historical study provides us with an overview of the known past in its entirety, from the beginning of time until the present day. In Big History and the Future of Humanity, Spier presents a simple theoretical approach that not only makes big history accessible, but reveals what the future may hold for humanity.

This original new approach interprets big history as the history of the rise and demise of complexity in all its myriad forms, from the greatest galaxy clusters to the tiniest sub-atomic particles. While focusing on energy flows through matter and the circumstances that produce complexity, the author traces the emergence and decline of all the major forms of complexity that have existed, including human societies and their products. Breathtaking in scope, Big History and the Future of Humanity offers provocative new insights into the origins and development of life and serves as an invitation to ponder humans’ place in the cosmos in a fascinating new way.

Big History and the Future of Humanity presents an original theoretical approach that makes "big history" – the placing of the human past within the history of life, the Earth, and the Universe -- accessible to general readers while revealing insights into what the future may hold for humanity.

• Provides an accessible and original overview of the entire sweep of history that places human history within the history of life, the Earth, and the Universe
• Features an original theory of "big history" which explains all of history and opens up an entirely new interdisciplinary research agenda
• Offers new insights into the future of humanity by better understanding the past
• Presents a new approach to complexity studies, which takes into account the greatest galaxy clusters as well as the tiniest sub-atomic particles