简介：China-TheSouloftheDragon TheWildDragon'sHeritage.Thestorybeginsmorethan1,500yearsbeforeourcurrenteraonthebanksoftheHwangHo-orYellowRiverandtheYangTseKiangorBlueRiver,whoseformidablepowerhasbeenfearedandrespectedbymenthroughtheages.Tocontrolthem,therenownedemperorQuinshihuangdi,todayregardedasthefirstmantounifythegreatlandofChina,installedhighlysophisticatedirrigationsystemsanddissuadedhispeoplefromresortingtoprayersandritualsintheirattempttocombattherivers'demons.ThediscoveryofQuinshihuangdi'stombin1974revealedthatthissaviorofalandsubjectedtothemightyrivers'whimwasheldinunboundedreverence:8,000individuallycraftedterracottawarriorsstandguardovertheirkingforeternity. Egypt-TheWayofEternity AJourneyintheNileValley.For3,000years,fromtheconstructionofthefirstpyramiduntilthedeathofCleopatra,Egyptwasalandofprosperity;largelythankstotheRiverNile.Whatisthestoryofthedevelopmentofthisimpressivecivilisationanditsrelationshipwithitsprincipalsourceoflife?HowdidtherivervalleyevolveduringAntiquity?WhydidtheEgyptiansneverfightagainstnature,preferringtodrawtheirownlife-forcefromitsnaturalpower?AndwhatremainstodayoftherichesandwealththatnaturehasofferedtoEgypt?Shapedandfashionedbythehandofmaninhispursuitofmodernity,againstallodds,theNilehasfinallybeentamed. TheIndus-TheMastersoftheRiver ASilentCivilisation.OneofthemostmysteriousofthesefourcivilisationsisnodoubtthatwhichdevelopedaroundtheIndus,discoveredonlyin1920.Consideredtobeoneoftheworld'smostpowerfulrivers,theIndushasaflowratetwiceashighastheNile,andthreetimesthatoftheTigrisandtheEuphrates.Itsgeographicalcourseenabledextensivecommunicationtobedevelopedand,atthesametime,theriseofaprosperouscivilisation,theHarappeans.Whatwasthestoryofthisrecentlydiscoveredcivilisation,andhowcanweexplainitsdecline? Mesopotamia-TheGardensofBabel TheConquestofTwoRivers.Mesopotamia,orthecountrybetweentworivers,istheoldestcivilisationtohaveflourishedattheconfluenceoftworivers:theTigrisandtheEuphrates.TheMesopotamiansincludedvariouspeoples,theSumerians,theBabylonians,theAkkadians,whocoexistedandsucceededoneanother,mixingandinter-relatinginaNearEastwithawiderangeofracialfacets.Thesedifferentpeoples,whooncelivedalongthebanksofthetworivers,haveleftbehindanarchaeologicalheritageofinestimablevalue.Howdidtheyflourishinsuchahostileenvironment?Wheredidtheirwealthcomefrom?Andhowdidthisperfectlystructuredcivilisationfinallyfadeanddisappearforever?…