Peter Stearns, University Professor in the Department of History and Art History and Provost Emeritus, has published a new book with Routledge. Titled The Industrial Turn in World History, the book is an effort to define what “has” to change in the transition from agricultural to industrial societies, from demography to the functions and forms of the state (including why monarchies have a hard time surviving in the Industrial Age). But the book also deals with regional variants and the problems that accrue with the transition. The publisher offers this description of the book:
In The Industrial Turn in World History, Peter N. Stearns presents a concise yet far reaching overview of the worldwide shift from agricultural societies to industrial societies over the past two centuries. Putting the implications for individuals and societies in global context while simultaneously considering the limits of generalization across cultures, Stearns’s text explores the nature of industrialization across national and regional lines. Rather than portraying the Industrial Revolution as primarily a Western, early 19th-century development, this new narrative argues that the move to industrial societies is an ongoing and truly global shift. Taking a largely social and cultural approach, Stearns engages with the leading-edge approach of looking at emotion historically—allowing readers to ask questions about the impact of industrial society on emotional experience and happiness levels. This innovating framing allows for use in a variety of courses, including world history, economic history, and more general courses on the Industrial Revolution.
Stearns has published widely in modern social history, including the history of emotions, and in world history. He has authored or edited over 130 books, mainly in social history and world history.
October 03, 2016