The Invention of Yesterday: A 50,000-Year History of Human Culture, Conflict, and Connection by Tamim Ansary
This book explores and social science from a very long view. From early cave paintings to nuclear warfare, this covers the highlights of humanity. How have people organized themself and how have they interacted with each other. It covers just enough individual points throughout the world to tell a full story.
Destiny Disrupted is an easy to read history of the Muslim world. It starts with the pre-Muslim Arabia, goes through the life of Muhammad, the spread of Islam after his death and the conflicts within the religion. While Islam of today is often seen as ultra-conservative and stifling of free thought, many people in the early times converted because of the freedoms that it offered. Islamic rulers tended to grant greater religious freedom than other rulers. They were also more advanced in technology and science than Europe of the day.
