Over a million students at thousands of schools have learned about world history with the best selling book for the course, Traditions and Encounters. The text is unique in approach: it covers the world as a whole, examining the formations and development of the world's major societies ("traditions"), and exploring cross-cultural interactions and exchanges that have been some of the most effective agents of change in history ("encounters"). In addition, the authors tell a coherent story of the past that is not weighed down by too much detail, enabling instructors to incorporate additional readings. The third edition is accompanied by the Primary Source Investigator CD, offering an easy and affordable way for instructors to get students working with primary sources.