Book excerpt: "Turning Points in Modern History takes you on a far-reaching journey around the globe-- from China to the Americas to New Zealand{u2014}to shed light on how two dozen of the top discoveries, inventions, political upheavals, and ideas since 1400 have shaped the modern world. Taught by award-winning history professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, these 24 thought-provoking lectures tell the amazing story of how life as we know it developed{u2014}at times advancing in one brilliant instant and at other times, in painstaking degrees. Starting in the early 15th century and culminating in the age of social media, you'll encounter astounding threads that weave through the centuries, joining these turning points in ways that may come as a revelation. You'll also witness turning points with repercussions we can only speculate about because they are still very much in the process of turning" -- from publisher's web site.