Towards a Better Understanding

"History," writes Bernard Norling, "is not a series of unconnected episodes, all about equally important or equally useless, each embellished with a chapter title, and all then assembled in a book. It is a seamless garment, each part of which is related to all the others. It should be studied as such: studied with the object of understanding how civilizations change and why; how societies differ in many ways yet usually have to face the same kinds of problems; how innumerable ideas, events, and institutions from the past have made our present world what it is." In this eminently practical book, Professor Norling provides the beginning student of history with a basic orientation towards the subject. He explains why the study of history is worthwhile, discusses the fundamental concepts and methods involved, and shows the student how to start doing historical research. Yet the book is not an abstract treatise, for Professor Norling constantly illustrates what he has to say about history with fascinating and pertinent examples from history. In so doing he truly shows how the events of the past make up that "seamless web" that in time includes us all.