Drawing on years of experience researching and teaching the history of the Indian Ocean world, this clever primer penned by historians Alpers (emer., Univ. of California, Los Angeles) and McDow (Ohio State Univ.) not only supplements, but likely replaces, the outdated textbooks college and high school educators use to introduce students to such a vast and complex story. The task of encouraging those already teaching and future instructors to adopt au courant research into their world history courses invariably addresses the frustrations scholars of the Indian Ocean world have with their field’s neglect. By creating an accessible format of course design principles, this book guides would-be teachers on how to engage topics as varied as geography, trade, migration, disease, empire, and the impact of the environment on Indian Ocean societies. As such, the helpful introduction to non-European sources that accommodates the historical methodologies to which these two experts of the field contributed over the years makes this an excellent tool for instructors seeking new ways to develop their curriculum and thus enrich their students' experience when learning about how the Indian Ocean contributes to world history. Superb for graduate students, advanced scholars, and high school teachers.