Foreword: Peter Stearns.- Preface & Acknowledgements: R. Charles Weller.- List of Contributors.- SECTION ONE: Historical Background.- 1- "'Grand Narrative' and 'New' World Histories: Their Historical, Social and Political Challenges and Contributions.", R. Charles Weller.- 2- "The Continuing Equivocation of 'Western' and 'White Civilization': White Nationalism and Eurocentrism at the Crossroads.", R. Charles Weller.- SECTION TWO: 21st-Century Narratives of World History.- 3- "Periodization in World History: Challenges and Opportunities.", Peter Stearns.- 4- "Complexity, Energy and Information in Big History and Human History", David Christian.-5- "History beyond Humanity: between 'Big' and 'Deep' History.", Felipe Fernandez-Armesto.- 6- "The Human System: An Introduction.", Patrick Manning.- 7- "World History from a Social and Cultural Perspective.", Merry Wiesner-Hanks.- 8- "World History as a Single Story.", Tamim Ansary.- 9- "The West, Russia, and Islam from a World Civilizations Vantage.", Tursin Gabitov.- 10- "Going Global: Thematic Explorations in World History.", Candice Goucher.- SECTION THREE: Comparative Historiographical Critiques.- 11- "World History and Perspectivity: between necessity and opportunity.", Gotelind Müller.- 12- "World Histories in Conversation.", Leonid Trofimov.- 13- "Eight World Historians.", Diego Olstein.- 14- "Other 21^st-Century Narratives of World History from Around the Globe.", R. Charles Weller.- Concluding Reflections: "A Way Forward: 'Grand Narrative' World History as Specialization?", R. Charles Weller.- Appendix: "The Politics of Difference in World, R. Charles Weller, Historical Study" (Table).