When Asia Was the World: Traveling Merchants, Scholars, Warriors, and Monks Who Created the ""Riches of the ""East""

This was a very well organized introduction into the history of the Asian world. For Westerners I think this book is an eye opener to the fact that the Asian world was far more sophisticated and advanced than we give it credit for, and far more advanced than Europe itself. I found each of the chapters intriguing and I particularly liked that the author consistently reminds us of similar instances from previous chapters. It is much easier to follow his thesis and strengthens the reader's understanding of the whole topic. This book is definitely worth a read.

I stumbled on this book by accident and then could not stop reading - till I came to the last page. Spending much time in Asia i was fascinated by the history Gorden covered - going back 2500 years. We all learn too little about the 'middle east' - Asia when undergoing our basic education. The scholars and traders were truly learned and adventurous. This is a book to be read by all.

What a well written book! A good overview for historians of other periods/places who want to get a sense of the book's area, and so accessible for the general reader. Its going to be my book to gift for the coming year.

Gives a real sense of peoples's lives in Asia when it dominated trade,and intellectual life. Lessons for today about East West relations.

Although I already know some deal about Asian history, this book, written in a near excessively lucid fashion, still left me satiated. The author is definitely erudite and has done a praiseworthy job in throwing light on a rather recondite perspective of world - the times when the West was in the shadows of the East.