In this introduction to the practical application of History, John Tosh persuasively argues we are in danger of missing history's principal contribution. Using topical examples from the Iraq War to AIDS to globalization, this text shows how history can provide the basis for an informed and critical understanding of our society.

Table of Contents
Preface
Prologue: Britain in Iraq
Contending Histories
Other Worlds
Becoming Ourselves
Parallels in the Past
The Family in Crisis: a Case-Study
History Goes Public
The Citizen's Resource
Conclusion
Notes
Select Bibliography