PHI THETA KAPPA International Honor Society of the Two Year College

Boorstin, Daniel J.  The Creators:  A History of Heroes of the Imagination.  Reprint ed.  1993.  Demonstrates how creators of art, architecture, and other artistic expressions have the power not only to reflect but also to shape the human experience.

Cahill, Thomas.  Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus (Hinges of History).  1999.  Sets the historical and cultural context for the rise of Christianity and examines the personalities of early Church leaders.

Clark, Kenneth.  Civilization:  A Personal View.  1970.  Distinguishes the differences between civilization and pre-civilization through examples from art history.

Greenfield, Amy Butler.  A Perfect Red:  Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire.  2005.  Examines the history of cochineal, once one of the world’s most precious commodities, and the quest for power that drove efforts to control the perfect red dye.

Kamen, Henry.  Empire:  How Spain Became a World Power, 1492-1763.  2004.  Seeks to understand the nature of the Spanish Empire and argues that the building of the Spanish Empire was a collaborative effort of Spain and its allies.

Michener, James.  The Covenant. 1980.  Chronicles the history of South Africa and the religious, political, economic, and personal power struggles involved in building an empire/nation.