This great non-fiction book for readers of all ages presents the accumulated human knowledge of the last 32,000 years. The history of the world is represented via the most significant charts, sketches, drawings and illustrations. These are the 100 schematics that had the strongest influence and impact on society, and they are presented in a chronological order with one page half page of text to describe each of them. The diagrams come from many fields: mathematics, history, music, arts, astronomy, cartography, and chemistry. The newest image is the iPod from 2001 and the oldest is the Chavet cave painting from 30,000 years ago.
There are a few surprises in the selections such as the inclusion of graded sewing patterns and the omission of such subjects as the atom molecule and maps of Christopher Columbus, drawings by Albert Einstein and the board game Monopoly. 100 Diagrams That Changed the World can evoke a great discussion among family members interested in culture, history, or science.