book about the diversity of the world

Marco Polo's "e;Book of the Diversity of the World"e; is one of the greatest works of medieval travel literature and a vital source of European knowledge about the East. The Venetian merchant, who spent over twenty years wandering Asia and seventeen years at the court of the great Mongol Khan Kublai Khan, left behind a unique account of a world that was almost mythical to medieval Europe. This book contains descriptions of Persia and China, India and Tibet, Japan and Indonesia, accounts of the customs and traditions of the peoples, the riches of Eastern cities, and the wonders of nature and human culture. Marco Polo was the first European to describe in such detail paper money and postal service, coal heating and porcelain, the structure of the Mongol state, and military science. His book opened Europeans' eyes to the vastness and diversity of the world, spurred the development of geographical science, and inspired travelers of the Age of Discovery, including Christopher Columbus. This publication allows modern readers to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the 13th century, see the world through the eyes of a medieval traveler, and appreciate the scale of cultural exchange between East and West during the era when the Mongol Empire united vast swathes of Eurasia. For anyone interested in the history of travel, medieval culture, Asian history, and intercultural contacts.