The Joy in Learning about World Civilizations

Over the past month, as part of our bedtime reading, my lad and I have been reading a book called "The Children's Atlas of Civilizations".   I think I picked this book up at our bi-annual hospital rummage sale but really I am not certain...I just remember talking with a girl who was all "OOH!!!   If you don't that book I'll take it, I'm geeky enough I find these books fascinating."   I turned down her offer but we had a nice chat about how fun it is to read dictionaries and overview books.. how we learn so much by doing so.

When we finished it, my lad's response was "AW, we're finished it?   But I liked that book!"   I need to find another we can read.

The question remains.   Why did we like reading this book?   What made it a joy to read?

Maps.

We got to see from page to page how each section of the world changed as nations rose and fell.  Borders expanding and contracting, see where people came from and how it changed the people conquered, and the back and forth between east and west.  It was so interesting.

Along with that came good text, explaining where people came from, what changes they made, how long they stayed in power and why sometimes countries fell again.

Each page came with a global image, to help with the "where it was the world".   This helped as we moved from section to section, and gave an opportunity for me to say so we just finished the section here, now we are moving over here.   Gave a good distinction for us.

Tons of images filled this book of the different architecture and art from these different civilizations, along with explanations of why we don't know alot about some of the different cultures (didn't have any writing so we can only make guesses based on what we have dug up), or these cultures had a picture form of writing which no one can read so this is what we think it means, or why we know lot about a culture based their language is still understood and people wrote about it. 

It was intriguing to learn how religion changed cultures, how it shaped their artifacts and the decisions they made.

It was fascinating to learn how some cultures simply vanished.  They were there one day and then it was as if they simply weren't.   AND there are no explanations as to why that happened. 

Cultures and people, as varied as the land that makes up this wonderful world that we live in.

My search is on to find another book that will intrigue us as much.

Do you have any suggestions for us?