The second edition of this book presents an updated history of globalization as a network-based story in the context of Big History. The authors trace the emergence, growth, interconnection, and merging of various types of networks from pre-historic times to modernity. They also focus on the development of certain ideas, processes, institutions, and phenomena that spread through those networks to become truly global.
The book specifies seven macro-periods in the history of globalization from the Big Bang to World War I. For each period, it identifies the most important network-related developments that had the greatest impacts on the history of globalization. By analyzing the World System's transition to new levels of complexity and connectivity, the book provides valuable insights into the course of Big History and the evolution of global networks, processes, and institutions.

Julia V. Zinkina focuses on global and national demographic processes, social networks, sociopolitical destabilization, and macrohistory. She has authored over 240 publications, including three monographs.

David Gilbert Christian is former director of Macquarie University's Big History Institute and a member of several academic societies. He authored Maps of Time (2004), the first Big History monograph, and co-founded the Big History Project with Bill Gates. He led the development of Macquarie’s MOOC “Big History: Connecting Knowledge” on Coursera.

Leonid E. Grinin edits Age of Globalization and co-edits Social Evolution & History and Journal of Globalization Studies. His research spans macrohistory, sociopolitical destabilization, globalization, and economic cycles. He has published over 580 works, including 32 monographs.

Ilya V. Ilyin has authored over 200 publications on global studies and sociopolitical processes.

Alexey I. Andreev studies global social dynamics and strategic planning. He has published over 70 works on education, sustainability, and globalization.

Ivan A. Aleshkovski focuses on globalistics, migration policy, and demographic development. He has authored over 150 publications.

Sergey G. Shulgin holds degrees in computer science and economics and has published over 50 works on demographic modeling and global social networks.

Andrey V. Korotayev has authored over 1200 publications, including Ancient Yemen (OUP, 1995), Great Divergence and Great Convergence (Springer, 2015), and Economic Cycles, Crises, and the Global Periphery (Springer, 2016). He has received multiple academic honors.