I refer the reader to my review of the teacher's edition. I am very pleased with this textbook, and my students are enjoying it.

As to the complaints about the world religion sections, I think these are quibbles, but I am happy they have been pointed out nonetheless. But I don't think the qualifying language concerning Christ, for example, is fatal or necessarily demonstrative of bias. I did not think Mohammed, to use another example, was presented as an exemplar as compared to the other major religious figures. No significant Hindu religious figures (apart from squibs on the major devas) were mentioned at all, by way of comparison. I think a little more space is devoted to him simply because, having come much later than Jesus or the Buddha, we know a little more about him since writing and record-keeping were more developed by the time he started his religious career. But that's hardly a promotion. I found overall treatments to be quite even-handed. And, of course the early Moslems get a little more "room at the table" early on because with the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates, rickety as they were, they did form, more of less, the first "multiethnic" religious-political empire that began the slow process of re-connecting up India, China, and Europe as an unintended consequence of the Arab conquests, with the Crusades as an additional "spur" to global development and trade until the Ottomans, Mongols, and ocean-and river going Europeans supplanted them in new patterns of cultural and economic exchange.

Still, I think the wise teacher will take scrupulous care to avoid any value judgments, and if any are perceived in the text, they can be easily corrected in classroom instruction. It's hard with the major religious leaders and founders since they always "hit close to home." Personally, I always make the point that looking at a religious figures clear-eyed based on "what we know or reasonably think we know" has nothing to do with faith or the miraculous, and should not. That belongs to the individual and should remain between the student, his parents, and their family religious traditions, if any. In truth, if I have one problem with "Human Legacy" it is the sometime rather gross simplification of religious and ethical systems. The Confucian section in particular could have really used some more detail.

The pictures are beautiful, the interactive website helpful, and I echo the praise of the "four star" reviewer in this thread. Very solid and well constructed book, too, highly resistant to the everyday action of the typical active teen. But watch for page inversion printer's errors. I believe Holt will replace defective texts.

Recommend.

I am currently teaching out of Holt's "Human Legacy." The textbook is excellent with everything you could ask for - colorful graphics, simple and straightforward text, and very up to date. But this supplement was disappointing. While I realize that the reader is supposed to be bi-lingual interactive (something I do not need), its layout is very poor. The content is very good, but the Spanish-to-English portions are all mashed together in alternating sentences or laid out in mashed together paragraphs that make it very difficult to follow, especially since there is absolutely no differentiation in the font style or typeface of the languages. For English, Spanish, or even bi-lingual students, I think this would be confusing and frustrating. And, the blandness of the writing and exercises, while perhaps conducive to bi-lingual study, can make the overall presentation dull and uninteresting, rather "grey."

However, I give it three stars, again, for overall up to date and well-summarized, if very dry, content. It would be a "five star" reader if the exercises were a little less bland and the layout improved for greater ease of comprehension and "readability."

Recommended for bi-lingual classrooms with noted reservations. Single language classrooms (English or Spanish) might have a more difficult time finding a useful deployment and may wish to look for another supplement if one is needed to compliment "Human Legacy."

I think the best review I can give this book, which I am using the first time this year, is from my own students. They are not having difficulty with the layout nor the text, and it is thoroughly up to date. I am estimating a good five-year life for this book before it will have to be replaced with another, more recent edition. It is expensive, but worth the money. Excellent book for the ninth or tenth year student at the "regular" to "honors" level track in world history. It is NOT suitable, however, for AP instruction without rigorous supplementation from an advanced course reader, and I cannot recommend it for advanced study in the genre, as it is not constructed with that purpose in mind.

Binding is also very sturdy and well put-together, but I would look through for a publisher error of some pages being bound in to the covers inverted. Holt will replace those.

The teacher's edition is also literally "chock full" of a variety of exercise suggestions, and I am sure that something could be find to please almost any classroom.

Recommend. I am very pleased with Holt's "Human Legacy."

Excellent for homeschooling. Covers enough lessons for 2 years of history class. It's 2 books in one. Jumbo book.

I homeschool 3 boys (9,10, and 11), and this book has opened their mind to history. They're currently obsessed with the great conquerors, and this book helps give them some base knowledge about the historical figures and the times in which they lived. The language is easy enough for them to read, but difficult enough to challenge them with syntax, concepts, and new vocab.

We buy a textbook to keep at home for two reasons. 1. Heaven forbid she forget to bring it home when an assignment is due the next day, and 2. Have you ever carried several of these heavy texts home in a backpack on your back. Think of it as cruelty to a child!!! It saves us all around.

This book was a Godsend . So glad Amazon had it. My daughter made it through 7th grade using this book as an extra resource

Good