Significance - Part 1

As a reader of history, I am annoyed by specious claims of originality, discovery or significance – think "lies, damned lies and statistics." Such claims sometimes denote simply innocent cases of over-selling the "merchandise." Sometimes they dress up the fact that the same old story is being retold the same old way. Sometimes they warn the reader that objectivity and context have been compromised to an extent that render the work untrustworthy. And sometimes they serve as the apologia that j...