Comprised of short, introductory narratives, primary sources, contemporary interpretations, and engaging activities, The Modern West: Issues and Perspectivesintroduces students to the eight issues central to the rise of the West to global power after 1500. The text is designed to help students tackle leading themes in western history while also sharpening skills sets such as contextualizing people and events, identifying patterns of continuity and change, constructing effective comparisons, and more. 

The book is divided into two parts, each containing four chapters. In Part I, students learn about the issues of media and the masses, migrations and encounters, cities and revolution, and industry and poverty as they relate to the historical West. In Part II, the issues of war and environment, individuals and history, ideology and power, and violence and body politic are addressed. Each chapter helps students develop a specific skill in relation to the study and analysis of history. The reading material is supplemented by tips, reflection questions, activities, and suggested readings. 

The Modern West is designed to serve as a supplementary text for foundational courses in western civilization, modern world, and the modern west.

Scott Lingenfelter specializes in early 20th century Russian history and teaches courses in world, European, and American history. He is a visiting professor of history at Grand Valley State University. Originally from Oklahoma, Professor Lingenfelter attended graduate school in Chicago and, before joining the faculty of GVSU, taught a variety of history and humanities courses at several institutions in the Chicago area and West Michigan.