The book argues that the course of history has been driven not by leaders, states, ideas or war but rather by four societal processes, whose actions, reactions and interactions have governed the nature and pace of historical change. These processes are the socio-cultural, political, economic and infomedia processes.Three major conceptions of world history (the cyclical, linear and chaotic) have tried to describe the course of history and explain the dynamics of change. This book reviews these conceptions and concludes that each one of them is only partially able to provide an understanding of the historical dynamics of change. The book incorporates these conceptions into one theory, the locomotive theory of history, that provides a comprehensive explanation of the movement and dynamics of change throughout history.The locomotive theory explains why certain nations have made more progress than others, why some people are getting richer while others remain poor, and why democracy has succeeded in some countries and failed in others. The multiplicity of issues that the book covers makes its analysis and conclusions of particular interest to all people engaged in politics, economics, socioeconomic development and globalization.

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