Discussion on Cultures in Motion

From the introduction up to chapter 7 in the reading of “Cultures in Motion” by author Peter N. Stearns, does a profound job in doing what was expressed would be done within the first few pages of his book. The basis of focusing on many different cultures and the encompassing contact was very focused and cut down to a short straight to the point style but was given a wide range of a big picture of most of the cultures and their history. The way Peter splits chapters one through seven into two parts, the first being about early classical civilization explaining the cultures being born in Egypt and the Middle-East, the explanation of Buddhism, Jewish, and Christianity. The second being of postclassical cultural contacts; in which provides a view of a clear explanation of how everything was most likely formed and what became or has become of it. Within Chapters 1-5, Stearns provides vital information starting off with the Middle East and Egypt. He expresses how the Greeks had borrowed Egypt and the Middle East culture and civilization, and even though it was fine it came to the point of where they just wanted some acknowledgement but the Greeks never wanted to admit their borrowing so that then led to the complication of being able to figure out the contacts. Following was the Hellenistic-Indian period, dealing with the “great and powerful” Alexander. This chapter made me see how insane Alexander was. He would start wars and win them, want more and get it. Until, his death bed reached him with his empire going down as fast as he got it. From there, it went to the history of Buddhism, and the way Stearns explains all that went down for this religion such as human suffering and sacrifice; made me realize how extreme these religions can get. Although, it is nice to see how much respect and will one can have for something that doesn’t seem so important to others, but is too many. Adding to that, a big part of all these cultures is of course the spread of them.