Meticulously researched and compiled by Kent Augustson, ‘Our Place in Time: The New Axial Age and the Pivotal Years (2015-2020)’ is a fascinating concise account of world history to date, positioning humanity in the midst of a New Axial Age that is about power. Calling on the works of history’s great minds including Karl Jaspers, Immanuel Kant, Carl Jung, and even Mark Twain, Augustson examines why the 20th century was the most violent in history, and how the 21st is set to follow in its footsteps. It’s all to do with the sudden emergence of republics the world over – and it fits with historical patterns.

Columbia, MD -- (SBWire) -- 04/13/2015 --Nobody can deny Karl Jaspers' bold contributions to theology, psychiatry and philosophy. Notable was his concept of the 'Axial Age', in the centuries surrounding 500 BC during which, according to him, similar new ways of thinking (related to love and wisdom) appeared in Persia, India, China, and the Western world.

Recently, the world has gotten dramatically more violent, and it's no surprise. In his powerful new book, historian Kent Augustson calls on the seminal works of some of history's greatest minds to prove the existence of a New Axial Age; one struggling with controlling power via the unprecedented spread of republican governments worldwide.

Synopsis of 'Our Place in Time':

Why was the 20th century the most violent in history?

Why is the 21st century shaping up to be as bad, if not worse?

Our Place in Time is a concise, lucid account of world history that provides an answer to these questions. It does so while presenting world history with some unique perceptions, including:

- A number of mnemonics that make the passage of ages and the last nine centuries more memorable.

- Making the case for Mark Twain's often recognized quip that history does not repeat itself but it does rhyme.

- Pointing out numerous astounding coincidences in history that Carl Jung would have viewed as meaningful and suggesting what they might imply.

- Advancing that Karl Jaspers' concept of an Axial Age might well be applicable to our own, albeit in a different dimension.

- Concentrating on the four major civilizations that have brought us to today—Confucian China, the Christian West, the Muslim Middle East, and Hindu India—and three main themes that run through them—governance, finance, and science.

- Presenting Immanuel Kant's original concept of a world organization in comparison to the United Nations.

- The provision of forty original charts illustrative of the above.

"Before the American Revolution, there were no true republics in the world. Four city-states in Italy called themselves republics, but they were really just oligarchies run by elites. Fast forward to today and 92% of the United Nations have at least ostensible republican governments," explains the author. "In less than two hundred years we have dramatically changed our perception of government in a necessary attempt to diffuse power."

Continuing, "My book examines this radical shift through a tour of world history and the eclectic perceptions by some of philosophy and literature's most critical thinkers. I uncover patterns and rhythms to help us understand where we are and better prepare us to move forward. To understand our context is to better weave our future. Time is relentless in its demands and its ways forward. To move with it is the easy way; to move against it is the hard way—either way Time will have its way, more painful or less."

Since its release, the book has garnered rave reviews. Kirkus Reviews comments, in an "impressive debut…A learned historian offers a challenging road map to humanity's future. A wide-ranging, comprehensive study of the meta-history of human civilization."

Kate Meyer adds, "Our Place in Time is a fascinating novel that weaves together a brief history of the past 1,000 years through a series of intriguing vignettes with the novel hypothesis that we are presently at a pivotal point in the history of our world and on the cusp of a New Axial Age. Using history as the basis for his assertions, the author successfully identifies the fact that in the latter half of the second decade an overabundance of pivotal events have occurred over the past 1,000 years."

'Our Place in Time: The New Axial Age and the Pivotal Years (2015-2020)' is available now: http://amzn.to/1FESUoL

About Kent Augustson
Kent Augustson graduated with honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara and was accepted into the history PhD program at UCLA. He stepped aside from academia after earning his MA to accept an executive intern position with the federal government in Washington, DC. For thirty years he lived history at the political center of the modern world while continuing independent studies.

An innate ability with mathematics allowed him to head various offices in the federal government responsible for the formulation and execution of aspects of the nation's budget. Matching words with numbers creatively and seeing to their defense convincingly before the White House OMB and the Congress became a career. Uniquely positioned, he applies honed analytical, conceptual, and presentation skills in Our Place in Time.

Mr. Augustson lives in Columbia, Maryland, with his wife, Judy, of over forty years. They have two grown children, Tanya and Erik, in the area.