[美]大衛•剋裏斯蒂安（David Christian）

曆史學者，畢業於牛津大學，在澳大利亞麥考瑞大學講授世界史。從上個世紀80年代開始，他著手研究“大曆史”理論。他現在是“大曆史”教學領域的領軍人物，擔任國際大曆史協會主席。

剋裏斯蒂安不僅在學術領域取得非凡成就，他還影響瞭大眾讀者對人類曆史的全新認知。比爾•蓋茨是他的忠實粉絲，斥資1000萬美元將他的研究成果打造為“大曆史教學項目”。剋裏斯蒂安還是一位公共演講傢，曾在TED、達沃斯論壇等平颱，嚮人們傳遞這種全新的曆史認知方式。在紐約《時代周刊》的報道中，他被比爾•蓋茨稱為“世界上最強大的人，我最崇拜的老師”。

About Big History

Featuring a foreword by the father of Big History, David Christian, and produced in association with the Big History Institute, Big History provides a comprehensive understanding of the major events that have changed the nature and course of life on the planet we call home. This first fully integrated visual reference on Big History for general readers places humans in the context of our universe, from the Big Bang to virtual reality.

Why does the universe work the way it does? Why are stars so big? Why are humans so small? What does it mean to be human? Big History blends geology, biology, physics, anthropology, sociology, and so much more to tell one coherent story, taking us right back to our origins and exploring how a unique series of events led to and then impacted human existence: how everything came to be, where we fit in, and even where we are going. Graphics, artworks, timelines, and at-a-glance overviews make the causes and effects of pivotal events and major thresholds in Big History instantly accessible, and evidence features explain how we know what we know. An additional 64-page reference section provides a more conventional account of events in human history.

Placing humans in the context of our universe and revealing how and why we got to where we are today, Big History covers 13.8 billion years of history, from the formation of the universe and the dawn of time to the present day.