Planning a world history course presents a nearly impossible task. One cannot complete a world history course, or even a European history course, without casting a huge amount of historical information onto the curriculum planning scrapheap. An emphasis on the twentieth century means leaving out significant information from earlier times. "But how can the kids understand topic y if they haven't covered x?" Teachers should also be clear about an important fact: as much as those who teach history believe in the importance of the subject, they must reluctantly acknowledge that millions of people lead happy, productive, and fulfilling lives without knowing anything about the Han or Songhai Dynasties, or about Ikhnaton. Are world history teachers engaged in a fool's errand if they can't finish what they start? Is there a case to be made for a world history course? This brief essay will suggest that there is a case--but only if they redefine what we expect to accomplish.