A matrix is used in this book to present the rather complicated historical materials of human history, with the vertical axis representing the Chinese civilization and the horizontal axis those of other nations, in an attempt to reconstruct a comparatively complete picture so as to present to the reader the origin of our ancestors and the progress of humankind. The history encompassed is vast and comprehensive, from prehistory to that of Modern times, from China to the world, from the origin of human civilization to the rise and fall of dynasties. This is, in scope, a world history for the general reader.
