u/nileplin

Hi everyone! I’m a non-history major in uni looking to teach myself world history chronologically. Being from Turkey, I want a genuinely global overview rather than just the standard Western-centric narrative.

I know trying to cover "all civilizations" sounds overly ambitious, but I’m in no rush and I don't need to know every single historical detail like a historian. I just want to learn enough to understand how philosophy, theology, politics, and art evolved and connected across the globe.

I’m currently building a syllabus for my first major stop which is the Ancient Near East. There are a lot of well-regarded books as far as my research goes, but I haven't been able to find a clear comparison between them. I would love some help choosing my core textbook(s). It doesn't have to be just one, but I’d like to understand how they differ in focus and style:

• Amanda Podany – Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East
• Marc Van De Mieroop – A History of the Ancient Near East: ca. 3000–323 BC
• Mario Liverani – The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy
• Gwendolyn Leick – Mesopotamia: The Invention of the City

For supplementary reading on theology and religious thought, I'm also planning to read:

• Thorkild Jacobsen – The Treasures of Darkness
• Jean Bottéro – Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia

A few questions for the sub:

1. How do these core textbooks compare, and which ones would best fit my goal of understanding structural ideas without getting drowned in details?
2. Do you have a recommended reading order?
3. Are there any critical books I've missed that fit my goals?

Thanks so much in advance for any insights!

Selamlar herkese.

Ben bu yaz kendi paramla artık iphone 11'den yeni bir telefona geçmeye karar verdim. Ama üniversite öğrencisi olduğum ve ailemin durumu pek iyi olmadığı için yazın kazandığım paranın bir kısmıyla yatırım yapmayı geri kalanını ise harçlık olarak kullanmayı planlıyorum. Bütçesel olarak param yetiyor ama karar veremiyorum 17 mi daha mantıklı diye. 120hz olması veya dual kamera falan pek umrumda değil açıkçası ama 256gb olması çekti beni... Çünkü şu an 64gb lık iphone 11imde alanın yarısından fazlası system storage falan...

Sizce 16 yeterli mi yoksa paraya kıyıp 17 mi almalıyım?

Aynı zamanda 3-4 yıllık airpodum da bozuluyor sanırım, emin değilim daha repairlemeyi ve iyice bir temizlemeyi deneyeceğim ama potansiyel bir 10k da oraya gidebilir o yüzden 16 daha mantıklı gibi?