-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
by Neil MacGregor
From the renowned director of the British Museum, a kaleidoscopic history of humanity told through things we have made.
When did people first start to wear jewelry or play music? When were cows domesticated and why do we feed their milk to our children? Where were the first cities and what made them succeed? Who invented math - or came up with money?
The history of humanity is a history of invention and innovation, as we have continually created new items to use, to admire, or to leave our mark on the world. In this original and thought-provoking book, Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, has selected one hundred man-made artifacts, each of which gives us an intimate glimpse of an unexpected turning point in human civilization. A History of the World in 100 Objects stretches back two million years and covers the globe. From the very first hand axe to the ubiquitous credit card, each item has a story to tell; together they relate the larger history of mankind-revealing who we are by looking at what we have made.
Handsomely designed, with more than 150 color photographs throughout the text, A History of the World in 100 Objects is a gorgeous reading book and makes a great gift for anyone interested in history.
"A book to savor, full of information and surprises." - Kirkus Reviews
"We are what we make, and MacGregor proves it... Get this one." - Library Journal
"MacGregor's central point, that the cultures of the world are the inheritance of the world, is one he never neglects to emphasise... And in pursuit of making it, he ventures down byways that not even the most avid visitors to the museum are likely to have explored." - The Observer (UK)
"Not everyone will agree with MacGregor's choices... But if this book isn't perfect, that's not to say it isn't a triumph." - The Scotsman
This information about A History of the World in 100 Objects was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
This book is based on a very popular BBC radio series produced in conjunction with the British Museum. The series consists of 100 fifteen minute radio presentations. You can view the 100 objects and download individual episodes from the BBC's website.
If you liked A History of the World in 100 Objects, try these:
by Moudhy Al-Rashid
Published 2026
Humanity's earliest efforts at recording and drawing meaning from history reveal how lives millennia ago were not so different from our own.
The Museum of Whales You Will Never See
by Kendra Greene
Published 2020
Mythic creatures, natural wonders, and the mysterious human impulse to collect are on beguiling display in this poetic tribute to the museums of an otherworldly island nation.
by Yuval Noah Harari
Published 2018
A groundbreaking narrative of humanity's creation and evolution that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be "human."
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from…or why…
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
