Since the end of World War II, the world has transformed in profound, far-reaching ways. The dismantling of European empires after the war led to decolonization, and the realignment of WWII allies led to conflict between superpowers. As the Cold War heated up, two ideologies—capitalism and communism—shaped daily life and international affairs. And as it wound down, a tidal wave of globalization wrought new avenues for growth but new sources of conflict—between the wealthy and the poor, between the Global South and the Global North. The Making of the Modern World: 1945 to the Present offers students an accessible guide to these transformations. In a compelling narrative style, the human story of our planet’s most recent history comes to life. This volume, Food, Population, and the Environment, covers the rising concerns about the degradation of the planet’s ecosystems following World War II, one of the most environmentally destructive wars in history. The vast increase in the use of pesticides and other chemicals after the war signaled some of the first alarms, as did population growth and food security. And as scientists and activists became more aware of the damages from climate change, pollution, deforestation, and desertification, an environmental movement began to translate into local and international action. Each title in this series contains a series introduction, color photos throughout, and back matter including: an index, further reading lists for books and internet resources, and a timeline of events. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers are able to reference back to the definitions--building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars, highlighted graphically, contain content rich material that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Text Dependent Questions are placed at the end of each chapter. They challenge the reader’s comprehension of the chapter they have just read, while sending the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects are provided at the end of each chapter as well and provide readers with suggestions for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. And Educational Videos are offered at the end of some chapters through the use of a QR code, that when scanned, takes the student to an online video showing a moment in history, speech etc. URLs are also provided, along with enough other information on the source, to allow students without a QR reader to find the videos. This gives the readers additional content to supplement the text.
