The Human Story: Our History, from the Stone Age to Today Paperback – July 26, 2005

Are you interested in purchasing this book, but hesitating because of the five (or so) one-star reviews? I just finished reading it, and here's what I think. The one-star reviewers seem to me to have failed to consider the audience that Davis has in mind. He's not writing for graduate students in history, or even history majors or history buffs. He's writing for the sort of person who is fairly bright and aware of what's going on in the world, but a bit embarrassed about his lack of knowledge of history. Such a person has to start somewhere, and this book is an excellent place to start.I suppose I should also warn, for those who care about such things, that Davis's book is a traditional history: it is somewhat Euro-centric, and it's not revisionist, or post-modern, or PC. If that offends you, don't buy it.You may also wish to check out David Fromkin's "The Way of the World." It's another sort of "universal history" which has been widely praised, and is perhaps written for a slightly more sophisticated audience. (I haven't read it yet, so I'm just pointing it out, not recommending it.)

I am a high school history teacher who has taught World History for over twenty years. Every few years I conduct a search for a narrative history that I could use to replace my $100 plus college level text with. Last year I found the Human Story. After reading the book I asked myself these questions: does it cover everything in the regular textbook (yes and more), does it cost less (yes, 1/10th as much), does it read more like the text book or a novel ( while it is non-fiction, it does read more like a novel. The author is an awesome story teller), does it have a kindle edition (yes, many textbooks don't and all of my students have I-Pads and prefer reading on them), and finally is the author a reasonable historian or does he express a bias? Beyond telling a story that is somewhat influenced by who he is the author is fair and balanced. I would recommend this book to someone looking to read history for pleasure or to someone looking for a better option for a textbook.

As an anthropology student I found this book to be quite accurate with regards to the major theories of human movement. I found Davis's writing to be captivating and funny while conveying a great overview of world history. He makes the trends that impacted our world obvious and easy to understand. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Without a doubt, this is the best book I've ever read on the subject. It covers the story of humans in a logical, concise manner. It is presented in a interesting format. I had borrowed it from the library, enjoyed it so much that I decided to purchase my own copy.

I am a huge fan of Kendle books... this one is one of the best books I've read in decades. What a lesson in history. Every human should be required to read this to get a high school diploma. Well done!

This was required reading for a college level course. It should not be used as a text book. While it is easy reading and somewhat interesting, the author is rather opinionated in his recounting of human history. There is a lack of balance in supporting facts, in some places there are no supporting facts. I would not reccomend it for anyone with seeking more than entertaining reading.

The book looks easy to read and interesting. I am looking forward to curling up in a comfortable chair and reading about mankind.

The book is informal at times , but the author likes to include his opinion in every fact he gives. It was hard to continue to read when I disagreed with his every thought. The facts are well stated and I learned a lot from this book but I could have lived without his constant insight.