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A one-voume reference to the history of ideas that is a compendium of everything that humankind has thought, invented, created, considered, and perfected from the beginning of civilization into the twenty-first century. Massive in its scope, and yet totally accessible, A HISTORY OF KNOWLEDGE covers not only all the great theories and discoveries of the human race, but also explores the social conditions, political climates, and individual men and women of genius that brought ideas to fruition throughout history.
"Crystal clear and concise...Explains how humankind got to know what it knows."
Clifton Fadiman
Selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club and the History Book Club
"Crystal clear and concise...Explains how humankind got to know what it knows."
Clifton Fadiman
Selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club and the History Book Club
646 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
209 people are currently reading
4104 people want to read
About the author
Charles van Doren
51 books80 followersCharles Lincoln van Doren was an American intellectual, writer, and editor who was involved in a television quiz show scandal in the 1950s. In 1959 he confessed before the United States Congress that he had been given the correct answers by the producers of the show Twenty One.
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July 25, 2011Though I genuinely enjoyed the book, I feel obliged to highlight couple of glaring factual mistakes I detected. They both deal with Russia and as a Russian I could not pass them unnoticed. The Russo-Japanese War was started by Japan with a surprising attack. The author states opposite.
Next, he confuses Belorussians (literally "White Russians") with White Guards, who fought Reds in the Russian Civil War and had mostly nothing in common with these people, apart from sounding alike to a certain degree. To me it sounds liek a hilarious, pun-like joke, but for many foreign readers out there, who are not familiar with the topic it may serve as a misleading information.
Next, he confuses Belorussians (literally "White Russians") with White Guards, who fought Reds in the Russian Civil War and had mostly nothing in common with these people, apart from sounding alike to a certain degree. To me it sounds liek a hilarious, pun-like joke, but for many foreign readers out there, who are not familiar with the topic it may serve as a misleading information.
Read
October 12, 2012This is a sad and unnecessary work. Indeed, how anyone with the intellect of Van Doren could write such a flawed and careless piece is almost incomprehensible. To begin, his work is Western biased, leaving very little space devoted to the remarkable achievements of non-Western civilizations and cultures. Perhaps Mr. Van Doren would have benefited himself and his work by examining the works of such scholars as L.S. Stavrianos. Emanuel Wallerstein, Peter Stearns, and other world systems historians who have done much to bring the West out of its exclusionary ego. Even more shocking is Van Doren's factual inaccuracy. One key example should illustrate my point: in his discussion of the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War, Van Doren mistakenly leads us to believe that the Russians attacked the Japanese, thus initiating the war in which the Russians were beaten and humiliated. Actually it was the Japanese who attacked the Russian fleet at Port Arthur. Other factual errors can be found in several other passages of the work.
Perhaps Van Doren feels that he has proven his scholarly mettle on enough occasions to exempt himself from the ardors of research, for one finds no footnotes or bibliographical information whatsoever in the entire work. A scholar such as Van Doren should not be so negligible in his endeavors. This work's most redeeming quality may very well be its service as an example of what good historical writing should not be.
Perhaps Van Doren feels that he has proven his scholarly mettle on enough occasions to exempt himself from the ardors of research, for one finds no footnotes or bibliographical information whatsoever in the entire work. A scholar such as Van Doren should not be so negligible in his endeavors. This work's most redeeming quality may very well be its service as an example of what good historical writing should not be.
October 5, 2013
The name of Charles Van Doren showed up recently as the main character of the movie "Quiz Show". Charles Van Doren is the well off and highly cultured son of a well-known university professor who made a number of appearances on a TV quiz show in the 1950s. He was later found to have conspired with the producers of the show in commiting fraud by being coached before the show on the questions to be asked and their answers.
After the quiz show scandal, Charles, who was also a professor, was banned from teaching and ultimately became an editor at the Encyclopedia Britannica. Over the years, he's authored many books, including "The Joy of Reading" and "How to Read a Book" (which he co-authored with Mortimer Adler).
"A History of Knowledge" is a stunning book, in both its scope and its clarity. Van Doren sets out to present a complete history of human knowledge--starting with the ancient civilizations and continuing through modern times, as well as extrapolating into the future. What is amazing is that Van Doren manages to do this in only 412 pages and manages to present a huge amount of information that is also very fascinating reading.
This is a history book that is not only very interesting reading, but should be the first history book that anyone interested in world history should buy. Van Doren includes short accounts of virtually every major discovery throughout history--including scientific knowledge, religious beliefs, as well as geographical knowledge. It's amazing how complete a book can seem, given that it's goal is to present only an overview.
After the quiz show scandal, Charles, who was also a professor, was banned from teaching and ultimately became an editor at the Encyclopedia Britannica. Over the years, he's authored many books, including "The Joy of Reading" and "How to Read a Book" (which he co-authored with Mortimer Adler).
"A History of Knowledge" is a stunning book, in both its scope and its clarity. Van Doren sets out to present a complete history of human knowledge--starting with the ancient civilizations and continuing through modern times, as well as extrapolating into the future. What is amazing is that Van Doren manages to do this in only 412 pages and manages to present a huge amount of information that is also very fascinating reading.
This is a history book that is not only very interesting reading, but should be the first history book that anyone interested in world history should buy. Van Doren includes short accounts of virtually every major discovery throughout history--including scientific knowledge, religious beliefs, as well as geographical knowledge. It's amazing how complete a book can seem, given that it's goal is to present only an overview.
July 10, 2018
20 anos antes abordou o tema da Origem de Dan Brown.
January 13, 2010
One of the few books I return to over and over again. A wonderful supplement to History akin to Durant's Lessons of History. Van Doren breaks down the lessons learned from various historical periods: the ancient world, the Greeks (where for example, he traces the development of Thales Question through various philophers), the Romans who learned or stole from the Greeks and added their own pragmatism, the 1000 year experiment with God called the Middle Ages , the newfound Humanism of the Renaissance, through the modern age. What I particularly like about Doren's work though are the insights which remind me of Trilling's commentaries on literature: they are very well written and very profound.
August 1, 2016
This is an excellent history of knowledge, one that I think is indispensable for a broad understanding of the development of knowledge over the many thousands of years of human history. What other book begins with a discussion of ancient civilizations inventing writing and numbers and religion, and ends with a discussion of computer enslavement? None that I know of. For the vast range of knowledge discussed, and the huge amount of time over which these developments took place, it's surprising how in depth Van Doren is able to go on virtually any topic. He doesn't stop at objectively relaying the facts, he offers the occasional philosophical insight, speculation, or contextual interpretation. He also interjects opinions from time to time, without conflating them with facts. There seem to be a few typos or errors in the book, though I was able to count them on one hand. Overall it's an incredible read that takes you through almost every significant moment and idea we as humans can be proud of (and ashamed of), over thousands of years of civilization.
Some reviewers have harshly criticized the book for their own irritating ability to detect a Western-centric and "white males only" narrative, which reflects nothing but these reviewers' poor reading comprehension. This doesn't accurately describe the book, as anyone who has read it will attest, but I know lately it's become the fashion to criticize anything that pays homage to the discoveries of "dead white men." This book also pays exceptional homage to the discoveries and contributions of many non-white men, and non-white cultures, and women. If you are incapable of objectively reviewing a book based on facts pertaining to the book, you are in no position to demand that the book represent an objective review of history. Which it does anyway, so the point is moot. Let me explain, by remarking only on aspects of history discussed within these pages that are about non-white people.
Within the first hundred pages alone Van Doren discusses Egyptian civilization and its contributions to future civilizations, Indus Valley civilization, ancient China, Mesopotamia, the Incans and Aztecs, Islam, Buddhism, Sumerian and Babylonian mathematics. He discusses how the invasions of the Huns broke through the Great Wall of China and initiated a sequence of events that would lead to the destruction of the Roman Empire. Later, he discusses the Arab Muslims' contact with Greek culture, and how they became noted mathematicians, astronomers, and physicists, and continued the work of codifying and interpreting Greek scientific thought begun before the fall of Rome. He discusses Avicenna, the influential Muslim philosopher-scientist, and Averroes, the Arabic philosopher and commentator, as two of the great medieval thinkers whose thought had massive repercussions for mankind for centuries. He discusses the invasions of Kipchaks and Mongols, and their weird relation to the Black Death. He tells us of the Chinese discovery of paper, as well as the Arabian discovery of paper. He tells us of Kublai Khan and the Yuan dynasty and the greater Mongolian empire. Interestingly, from this discussion we learn why China's contributions to world thought are so small over a five hundred year period, after Ming emperors foster attitudes of antiforeign conservativism, in which science decays, trade becomes passive, and maritime discoveries are ignored or forgotten, and the country later becomes exploited by nations that value the opposite things. And yet we still learn, within these pages, of things like the Chinese invention of gunpowder, the immeasurable effect Chinese porcelains had on Western tastes for generations. We learn of the long history of African slavery. We learn about the interactions between Europeans and China and India, why the East was considered so mysterious and mythical. We learn about the twentieth century theocracy in Iran, the ancient theocracy of Egypt, and universal ideas that are shared by almost everyone.
If the myriad reviewers of which I speak were correct, my above paragraph would not exist, for none of it would be true. However, it is true. Because that paragraph exists many reviews of this book have been crushed beneath the hammer of reality. This is often the case with fashionable nonsense.
This was an outstanding book, a pleasure to read, offering a great exploration of new knowledge every few pages. If knowledge is your thing, this book has it in spades. If intellectual diversity interests you, this book is all about that. Read it and love it and learn a lot.
Some reviewers have harshly criticized the book for their own irritating ability to detect a Western-centric and "white males only" narrative, which reflects nothing but these reviewers' poor reading comprehension. This doesn't accurately describe the book, as anyone who has read it will attest, but I know lately it's become the fashion to criticize anything that pays homage to the discoveries of "dead white men." This book also pays exceptional homage to the discoveries and contributions of many non-white men, and non-white cultures, and women. If you are incapable of objectively reviewing a book based on facts pertaining to the book, you are in no position to demand that the book represent an objective review of history. Which it does anyway, so the point is moot. Let me explain, by remarking only on aspects of history discussed within these pages that are about non-white people.
Within the first hundred pages alone Van Doren discusses Egyptian civilization and its contributions to future civilizations, Indus Valley civilization, ancient China, Mesopotamia, the Incans and Aztecs, Islam, Buddhism, Sumerian and Babylonian mathematics. He discusses how the invasions of the Huns broke through the Great Wall of China and initiated a sequence of events that would lead to the destruction of the Roman Empire. Later, he discusses the Arab Muslims' contact with Greek culture, and how they became noted mathematicians, astronomers, and physicists, and continued the work of codifying and interpreting Greek scientific thought begun before the fall of Rome. He discusses Avicenna, the influential Muslim philosopher-scientist, and Averroes, the Arabic philosopher and commentator, as two of the great medieval thinkers whose thought had massive repercussions for mankind for centuries. He discusses the invasions of Kipchaks and Mongols, and their weird relation to the Black Death. He tells us of the Chinese discovery of paper, as well as the Arabian discovery of paper. He tells us of Kublai Khan and the Yuan dynasty and the greater Mongolian empire. Interestingly, from this discussion we learn why China's contributions to world thought are so small over a five hundred year period, after Ming emperors foster attitudes of antiforeign conservativism, in which science decays, trade becomes passive, and maritime discoveries are ignored or forgotten, and the country later becomes exploited by nations that value the opposite things. And yet we still learn, within these pages, of things like the Chinese invention of gunpowder, the immeasurable effect Chinese porcelains had on Western tastes for generations. We learn of the long history of African slavery. We learn about the interactions between Europeans and China and India, why the East was considered so mysterious and mythical. We learn about the twentieth century theocracy in Iran, the ancient theocracy of Egypt, and universal ideas that are shared by almost everyone.
If the myriad reviewers of which I speak were correct, my above paragraph would not exist, for none of it would be true. However, it is true. Because that paragraph exists many reviews of this book have been crushed beneath the hammer of reality. This is often the case with fashionable nonsense.
This was an outstanding book, a pleasure to read, offering a great exploration of new knowledge every few pages. If knowledge is your thing, this book has it in spades. If intellectual diversity interests you, this book is all about that. Read it and love it and learn a lot.
skimmed-or-skimming-read-in-parts
November 21, 2024UPDATE/November 2024: Now I don't want to delete old reviews but I definitely find my overconfidence hilarious. I don't particularly want revisit this book, but boy was I rigid! My "review" is pretty unfair and rather silly.
ORIGINAL REVIEW/May 2013:
An enormous disappointment. I've read chunks of it but could not bring myself to read it cover to cover, just didn't seem worth it because there is absolutely no objectivity in Van Doren's writing. He considers the history of knowledge of the West as equivalent to 'everything mankind has ever thought'. This is a classic example of the west's arrogance and ignorance. It's like as if the rest of the world didn't even exist because of course they were all savages waiting for the white man to shower them with his knowledge and superior skills. Sorry to burst the bubble but the works of the Greek intellectuals the he is so proud of wouldn't even have reached Europe had it not been for the civilisations of the Near East.
ORIGINAL REVIEW/May 2013:
An enormous disappointment. I've read chunks of it but could not bring myself to read it cover to cover, just didn't seem worth it because there is absolutely no objectivity in Van Doren's writing. He considers the history of knowledge of the West as equivalent to 'everything mankind has ever thought'. This is a classic example of the west's arrogance and ignorance. It's like as if the rest of the world didn't even exist because of course they were all savages waiting for the white man to shower them with his knowledge and superior skills. Sorry to burst the bubble but the works of the Greek intellectuals the he is so proud of wouldn't even have reached Europe had it not been for the civilisations of the Near East.
June 10, 2012
Charles Van Doren allows too much of his own personal beliefs to be evident throughout this book. One expects the author of history books to at least try and be objective and when he is not...the expectation is that he would explain why. Charles Van Doren does not explain the reason for his worldview and the book is lacking for that reason. In addition, the book was written in 1991. It was painfully dated in the latter chapters regarding the history of knowledge of the present and future. It is possible, that I would have given this book three stars, had I read it twenty years ago.
August 15, 2018
I learned a lot from this book, although the first half of the book was definetily more interesting than the second half. Even though the author seem like a wise and empathic guy, he also comes along very dogmatic and arrogant when preaching his belief in progress and modernity. This made some parts of the book extremely annoying and tiresome. I wish he would have been able to rise above the current zeitgeist, but I guess that is easier said than done. All in all this was a good book with a lot of "general knowledge" that naturally was treated very superficially.
July 28, 2017
Ne mogu da odolim, čitam ponovo. Kako se mnogo toga zaboravi opet mi je uživanje kao da čitam prvi put. Eh, šta ti je zaborav.
October 2, 2019
The history of knowledge and science is always interesting, and basically endless, which is to say more than can be done in 400 pages. There is so much to cover that I am never comfortable criticizing any substantial work that tries to do it. Van Doren's (RIP) technique, he of Encyclopedia Britannica, seems to be to offer recitations one after another of the lives and contributions of a long string of thinkers and doers over the centuries, interspersed with his own extensive opinions on each. It is really not enough, but maybe it is sufficient within the book's intended scope and objective. The technique reminds me of one that is sometimes suggested: "Write ten pages a day for thirty days, and voila, you have written a book!
There are several places where he shines. One, I thought, was where he traced the contrast of land being a store of value to that of money, i.e, tracing the development of the use of money from money-less feudal societies to later money-rich commercial societies. Another was a discussion of conditions leading to what he calls the modern Thirty Years War; that is, the combined 31 years of World War I and II that afflicted the Western World. I have read a lot about the First World War, and his approach to explaining it struck me as quite different from the usual explanations, and interesting as well. And, I doff my hat to anyone who can explain the First World War.
It would be totally legitimate to rate this book higher because it takes on a big task in a novel way, but in its field there is a lot of excellent competition, and the scholarship in this one is a bit skimpy to my tastes. Nevertheless, much as one reviewer suggested, Van Doren offers the reader a good liberal education in one go, and it should be noted that this a scarce commodity in the United States.
However, there is always a however. His review of the triumph of democracy in the twentieth century, while mostly his opinion and interpretation, is highly lucid and very easy to follow, and makes more sense than most explanations. He stresses equality of opportunity and a reasonable amount of economic equality and justice for the sake of successful and lasting democracy. Unfortunately, since he wrote those comments that was then, this is now, and we may have veered in the wrong direction in the last thirty years, to our detriment. Of course, I admit to a liberal bias, and also admit that I am well known to enjoy looking at the world through the wrong end of the telescope.
And, I like Van Doren's writing style, as he is the only writer I have found who likes to use commas as much as I do.
There are several places where he shines. One, I thought, was where he traced the contrast of land being a store of value to that of money, i.e, tracing the development of the use of money from money-less feudal societies to later money-rich commercial societies. Another was a discussion of conditions leading to what he calls the modern Thirty Years War; that is, the combined 31 years of World War I and II that afflicted the Western World. I have read a lot about the First World War, and his approach to explaining it struck me as quite different from the usual explanations, and interesting as well. And, I doff my hat to anyone who can explain the First World War.
It would be totally legitimate to rate this book higher because it takes on a big task in a novel way, but in its field there is a lot of excellent competition, and the scholarship in this one is a bit skimpy to my tastes. Nevertheless, much as one reviewer suggested, Van Doren offers the reader a good liberal education in one go, and it should be noted that this a scarce commodity in the United States.
However, there is always a however. His review of the triumph of democracy in the twentieth century, while mostly his opinion and interpretation, is highly lucid and very easy to follow, and makes more sense than most explanations. He stresses equality of opportunity and a reasonable amount of economic equality and justice for the sake of successful and lasting democracy. Unfortunately, since he wrote those comments that was then, this is now, and we may have veered in the wrong direction in the last thirty years, to our detriment. Of course, I admit to a liberal bias, and also admit that I am well known to enjoy looking at the world through the wrong end of the telescope.
And, I like Van Doren's writing style, as he is the only writer I have found who likes to use commas as much as I do.
August 30, 2024
I can't say I totally disliked it, but giving it 2 stars ("It was OK") would definitely be giving it more than its due.
Simply put, the scope (history of all science, art, and philosophy) and the range (pre-history to the 21st century) far exceeds the author's competence to cover. That isn't to suggest that anyone else could do better, it's probably too big an ask for anyone. There were several topics (mostly translating advanced math concepts to a popular level) where van Doren appeared very comfortable and was able to offer insightful and nuanced commentary. Unfortunately there were just as many where I would label his analysis as some sort of unintentional performance art comedy. Allow me to share the following passage to give an example of the level of analysis the author provides modern Iranian political history:
"Democracy is anathema to theocracy. It is not surprising, therefore, that the United States, the leading exemplar of democracy in the world, was considered an evil nation by Khomeini and the Iranian imams."
I don't even know where to begin to dissect such a child-like view of Iranian politics. Ignoring the fact that the United States *actively destroyed the Iranian democracy to install a puppet dictator* when approaching this topic is either unimaginable ignorance, shocking maleficence, total incompetence, or worst of all, ideological blindness. This is unfortunately the level you can expect from the author whenever he steps away from the history of science and moves toward the history of political philosophy.
The range and scope of this book was monumentally ambitious, so its disappointing but not surprising that its execution was a failure.
Simply put, the scope (history of all science, art, and philosophy) and the range (pre-history to the 21st century) far exceeds the author's competence to cover. That isn't to suggest that anyone else could do better, it's probably too big an ask for anyone. There were several topics (mostly translating advanced math concepts to a popular level) where van Doren appeared very comfortable and was able to offer insightful and nuanced commentary. Unfortunately there were just as many where I would label his analysis as some sort of unintentional performance art comedy. Allow me to share the following passage to give an example of the level of analysis the author provides modern Iranian political history:
"Democracy is anathema to theocracy. It is not surprising, therefore, that the United States, the leading exemplar of democracy in the world, was considered an evil nation by Khomeini and the Iranian imams."
I don't even know where to begin to dissect such a child-like view of Iranian politics. Ignoring the fact that the United States *actively destroyed the Iranian democracy to install a puppet dictator* when approaching this topic is either unimaginable ignorance, shocking maleficence, total incompetence, or worst of all, ideological blindness. This is unfortunately the level you can expect from the author whenever he steps away from the history of science and moves toward the history of political philosophy.
The range and scope of this book was monumentally ambitious, so its disappointing but not surprising that its execution was a failure.
April 7, 2015
This book outlines the changes that have taken place in the world. The majority of people in the world call these changes "progress". A small number may not see any improvement in the world at all. And a few might even say the world is getting worse. It is a useful, though opinionated, outline of the world's philosophical and scientific landmarks in history. What is clear in the book is the triumph of three things (or ideas): secularism/humanism, science/technology, and democracy. The author himself does not praise or blame the first two ideas, he simply makes observations. He is a big fan of democracy though. He sees war as a terrible but sometimes necessary evil. The book is pretty good until the last chapter, "The Next Hundred Years". Here he makes some bogus predictions about artificial intelligence. Written in the early 1990's, he does not mention the internet or WWW at all. This is surprising since one could access BBS's and such at that time.
January 22, 2017
Proclaimed to be "a compendium of everything humankind has thought, invented, created, considered, and perfected from the beginning of civilization" up to 1990. It "covers not only all the great theories and discoveries of the human race, but also explores the social conditions, political climates, and individual men and women of genius that brought ideas to fruition throughout history."
However, since it does all this in only 400 pages, this compendium is a very brief introduction to the subject. Although the author starts with a review of all ancient knowledge across all continents and cultures, after page 30 the text focuses almost exclusively on Western culture. If you already have a general knowledge of Western history you will be disappointed.
The author is obviously knowledgeable and his enthusiasm for literature, culture and history is infectious. While Mr. Van Doren's knowledge is wide ranging, it appears shallow in the sciences. For example, his two pages on 19th & 20th century mathematics is full of poetical prose but almost empty of the great advances in this field over these 200 years. I was disappointed that he went through the 19th century (Prelude to Modernity) without even mentioning Impressionism painting. Evidently civilization progressed from Renaissance (Giotto, da Vinci, Michelangelo) directly to Picasso and Pollock.
However, since it does all this in only 400 pages, this compendium is a very brief introduction to the subject. Although the author starts with a review of all ancient knowledge across all continents and cultures, after page 30 the text focuses almost exclusively on Western culture. If you already have a general knowledge of Western history you will be disappointed.
The author is obviously knowledgeable and his enthusiasm for literature, culture and history is infectious. While Mr. Van Doren's knowledge is wide ranging, it appears shallow in the sciences. For example, his two pages on 19th & 20th century mathematics is full of poetical prose but almost empty of the great advances in this field over these 200 years. I was disappointed that he went through the 19th century (Prelude to Modernity) without even mentioning Impressionism painting. Evidently civilization progressed from Renaissance (Giotto, da Vinci, Michelangelo) directly to Picasso and Pollock.
December 2, 2024
Worth reading, if you come across it. I definitely learned some new things. 5⭐️for the first half of the book. 3 for the second half. Good coverage of the ancients and a nice look at literature and science up to the 20th century. I enjoyed when he wove quotes into his history of knowledge and his ideas on war, a major theme here.
Fun facts I didn’t know: Interest on loans was over 50% “as late as 1700.” Vowels were invented 300 years after consonants. The plagues of Europe provided cheap surplus rags (previously worn by the living) to make paper just in time for the printing press to take off.
You can also discover, if you like, what a latitudinarian is and set a few idea ideas in better context. The book finishes with speculations on our future and there, a fellow from 1991 is swimming against the tide.
Fun facts I didn’t know: Interest on loans was over 50% “as late as 1700.” Vowels were invented 300 years after consonants. The plagues of Europe provided cheap surplus rags (previously worn by the living) to make paper just in time for the printing press to take off.
You can also discover, if you like, what a latitudinarian is and set a few idea ideas in better context. The book finishes with speculations on our future and there, a fellow from 1991 is swimming against the tide.
January 22, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found it full of interesting information, wit, and thought provoking questions. I was impressed at how the author was able to weave so many ideas and biographies together, and his descriptions of the life and times of previous people were lively. Giving it only 3 stars, however, due to the false confidence that the author asserted in certain incorrect statements about reality, as well as being rather Euro-centric. (I was, however, pleasantly surprised at the nuance with which the author discussed certain issues of gender and race and colonization.) In general a great read if you understand the limitations and don't look to this book as a single authoritative source.
November 20, 2024
Un conglomerado de conocimiento del que aprender un poco de todo, además de ser un libro que te hace pensar tanto sobre lo que ha sucedido en el pasado, como lo que sucederá en un futuro. A ratos tedioso y complicado de leer
May 1, 2020
Este libro es muy bueno para personas q quieren saber historia desde el principio hasta el s.xxii, sin embargo es pesado y tedioso en algunas partes. Hay q leerlo con tranquilidad y sin afanes
August 30, 2022
This book was ambitious, informative, and...deeply silly. I read it because I saw that Van Doren died about a month ago. I also knew that he was friends and co-author of a book with the great Mortimer Adler, one of the most prolific defenders of literacy and Western culture in the 20th century.
Any attempt to summarize the history of human thought in 400 pages will inevitably leave important material out, but some of Van Doren's omissions were truly unpardonable. He spends almost no time discussing the Arab civilization, which, for all its modern vices, had a fascinating and rich history and made a significant contribution to human thought. His coverage of literature was fairly good, although he leaves out some major figures such as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Proust, and instead elaborates on the truly overrated bore George Eliot. He is best when he discusses mathematics, a discipline he both understood and which he was able to communicate clearly. He is at his worst when he makes some truly bizarre (and wrong) predictions about the coming years, and when he naively begs mankind to adopt a "world government".
Van Doren's bias is his Whig view of history. We are always becoming smarter and more well-informed. Is mass media a baneful influence? No, of course, he says. That is silly sentimentalism. Mankind is growing ever more knowledgeable. This book was written in 1991. The average millennial (I am one) that I know, many of whom went to elite universities, cannot finish a single book and their idea of art is this season's sequel of grown adults dressed in rubber suits punching each other. I am not at all convinced that our intellectual depth surpasses our forebears. Van Doren's book really had me thinking of the importance of adopting the right attitude towards the past. On the one hand it is silly to long for a glorified past. But is it really more enlightened to worship the future- to believe that mankind is on a slow and steady march of progress? Both, indeed, are illusions. Van Doren has traded one faith for another.
Any attempt to summarize the history of human thought in 400 pages will inevitably leave important material out, but some of Van Doren's omissions were truly unpardonable. He spends almost no time discussing the Arab civilization, which, for all its modern vices, had a fascinating and rich history and made a significant contribution to human thought. His coverage of literature was fairly good, although he leaves out some major figures such as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Proust, and instead elaborates on the truly overrated bore George Eliot. He is best when he discusses mathematics, a discipline he both understood and which he was able to communicate clearly. He is at his worst when he makes some truly bizarre (and wrong) predictions about the coming years, and when he naively begs mankind to adopt a "world government".
Van Doren's bias is his Whig view of history. We are always becoming smarter and more well-informed. Is mass media a baneful influence? No, of course, he says. That is silly sentimentalism. Mankind is growing ever more knowledgeable. This book was written in 1991. The average millennial (I am one) that I know, many of whom went to elite universities, cannot finish a single book and their idea of art is this season's sequel of grown adults dressed in rubber suits punching each other. I am not at all convinced that our intellectual depth surpasses our forebears. Van Doren's book really had me thinking of the importance of adopting the right attitude towards the past. On the one hand it is silly to long for a glorified past. But is it really more enlightened to worship the future- to believe that mankind is on a slow and steady march of progress? Both, indeed, are illusions. Van Doren has traded one faith for another.
October 4, 2016
Reviewing a book on the history of human knowledge is a daunting prospect (though not perhaps as daunting as writing one). In 412 short pages, the author succinctly traces the story of human progress from the earliest recorded civilizations to the world we inhabit today. I have only read one other sweeping survey of human history before this one. Of the two, this one was more comprehensive and less prone to - shall we say - bouts of narrative journalism.
If you enjoy art, literature, philosophy, politics, religion, economics, and science, then there is probably something of interest to be found in this book. Certainly none of these things are as separable into the watertight compartments we place them in as we might think they are, inasmuch as they are different strands that all twine together to form a single cord, the flow of human history.
If you enjoy art, literature, philosophy, politics, religion, economics, and science, then there is probably something of interest to be found in this book. Certainly none of these things are as separable into the watertight compartments we place them in as we might think they are, inasmuch as they are different strands that all twine together to form a single cord, the flow of human history.
given-up-on
October 24, 2017Read about a quarter of this. This is a distillation of what might be thought of the western consensus view of human knowledge, as of 1970-something. In of itself, it’s an incredible work of narrativizing and distillation. The claim that it could be the greatest such work in the history of the world could even be made. That said, if you’re reading this review, it’s not unlikely that you in fact have consumed and reconsumed the ideas in this book over and over through the course of your life; it’s a shared civilizational narrative. As such, while it may be largely correct, A History of Knowledge condemns you to be wrong in the same ways as your forefathers.
October 6, 2017
survey of thought and ideas through history.
in our history the collective memory retains at least some knowledge from the past to which is added every new discovery. p. xvi
Everywhere, as Thucydides wrote, the strong did what they wished and the weak suffered what they had to. p. 4 !!!!!
massive construction projects partly so that no one should suffer -- of enjoy -- the restlessness of the unemployed. . . . every tyrant in history has attempted to insulate his people from all kinds of knowledge except the most practical. p. 9 *****
Buddha . . . the recognition of man's fate, which is to grow old and sick, then die. p. 21
in our history the collective memory retains at least some knowledge from the past to which is added every new discovery. p. xvi
Everywhere, as Thucydides wrote, the strong did what they wished and the weak suffered what they had to. p. 4 !!!!!
massive construction projects partly so that no one should suffer -- of enjoy -- the restlessness of the unemployed. . . . every tyrant in history has attempted to insulate his people from all kinds of knowledge except the most practical. p. 9 *****
Buddha . . . the recognition of man's fate, which is to grow old and sick, then die. p. 21
August 16, 2014
This book is quite amazing in its depth. The title may seem naive, but Charles Van Doren does a brilliant job narrating the history of our species. What makes this book different from other history books is that it discusses from multiple perspectives: philosophy, literature, art, politics and technology- among others. If one is searching for a book that can give them a compete- or near to complete- survey on the history of humanity, look no further. This book is an astounding achievement and will radically sensitize you to how much the past has shaped the 21st century.
July 8, 2014
This reads like Van Doran sat down and wrote about all the things that he thought he knew something about. I have no idea how this got published. Certain things that I have studied in great detail are clearly misrepresented, completely wrong, or embarrassingly naive, which makes me wonder about the things he discusses that I don't know that well. I first encountered the book in school and on every page I found myself scratching my head. The suggestion that the entire history of Western thought is a progressive march through time is a dangerous one as so many other books have pointed out.
April 14, 2008
An excellent and very readable treatise. A very enjoyable read!
February 29, 2008
I've given this book as a gift to about a dozen different people! If you love history, cultures, and man's progress, and seeing the "bigger picture", you will enjoy this book! If you read between the lines, this book offers "the biggest picture", that is, world peace.
Instead of writing a review, I will copy this following column I wrote about this book. It is also a subject that I am currently outlining as a book, having the same title, The Formula for World Peace. Here is the column:
The Formula For World Peace
By Robert Calixto
Jan. 26, 2008
Here it is. I’m throwing in my vote, my priceless two cents. It’s the elusive formula for World Peace. Yes, I believe wholeheartedly that it’s still possible, even with all the “end of the world” talks of global warming, weapons of mass destruction, new nuclear threats, terrorism, blah, blah, blah. Now is the best time to get this movement going! If there can be an America, there can be World Peace!
World Peace. We’ve all wished for it, talked about it, and argued each other on how we can obtain it. Let’s kill eight birds with one stone, shall we?
Here is the formula for world peace: A ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT! Yes, a one-world government. It’s been brewing in my brain ever since I read Charles Van Doren’s ultimate history book called “A History of Knowledge” - Past, Present, and Future. It describes “the pivotal events, people and achievements of world history”. What more can you want in a book? If I went Oprah, this would definitely be in my book club. And yes, I gave the book away as a gift quite a few times!
If you’re a “worldly-curious” person like me, love the History and the National Geographic Channels on cable television like me, if you are a quasi-history buff like me, and if you love to “know a little about everything and everyone” like me, then you’ll love “A History of Knowledge”, like me. It goes through the entire history of mankind, from the ancient civilizations, to the various “ages”, and to the emergence of modernity. It describes the various contributions of all ancient civilizations and not so ancient empires. It describes all the world’s religions, their origins, and their differences. It also describes the lives of everyone who’s had any major role in human history, very objectively.
It makes a great point in regards to the progress of human knowledge, in that it is not dependent on technology nor wealth, but in equality. Yes, that’s right, equality. “An advanced civilization depends on how much equality exists between its citizens.” This is what makes this book different from any other history-type reference book, in that “equality” is the ultimate measure of advancement.
In the book, Van Doren describes the progression of equality through “democracy”, from its origins with the Greeks, then the Romans, then the English Puritanism movement, to Abraham Lincoln’s civil war, up to Martin Luther King’s idealism. Van Doren describes how equality progressed through history, reaching the pinnacle moment, with Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”. If you didn’t already know Lincoln’s degree of significance in the progress of equality, you should really read this book!
Also in the book, Van Doren states only one formula for World Peace, a one-world government. He doesn’t specifically describe the details of how the government would work, but I’m suggesting a United States-type government, with all its “checks-and-balances” branches of government, where no one really rules supreme. The whole “rule by representation” thing would still apply. I personally believe in the “electoral college” system. The founding fathers put that in for a good reason. Sorry Al Gore, but I don’t think the popular vote is necessarily a good thing, but that’s another article.
In my opinion, the United States is the “model system”, a practice, for the eventual One World Government. We can then call it the United States of Earth, or something cooler. Just think, instead of countries, each “old country” would be become a “state”, under the One World Government, each with it’s governor, other local governments and so on. If one state has a disagreement with another, like Israel versus Lebanon, for example, they would have to answer to the USE government. World War III will never happen, because it will be downgraded to a civil war. By the way, I always wondered why it’s called “World War”. Was Mexico, Paraguay, or New Zealand involved? I didn’t think so. While we’re at it, why is it called “World Series”?
Is there a possibility for a civil war? Of course there is. But we already have the American civil war to learn from, and our experience with Abraham Lincoln would be a great reference. Also, knowing how the American founding fathers researched the ideal “democratic” system before they finalized the American Constitution, (I know of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin’s travels to Europe) we can “update” the New Constitution” as well. Not so much change it, but add fine details to it.
So who’s going to introduce this to the world? Of course the Americans will. We are already the model. We can convince everyone else by example! You might ask, how about all this talk about the world hating America? I know it’s not true. Just compare the amount of people on the planet that wants to come here versus the people on the planet that say they hate us! I know it’s not true! The world loves America!
I am not saying that the world would run their system exactly like the US of America. As a matter of fact, America in my opinion could learn from other governments! We still don’t have a universal health program in this country. Yes, we can learn a thing or two from the Canadians! Also, in my opinion there’s just too much “capitalism” in the USA. So much so that the world suffers at our expense of being a very strong capitalistic nation. What is it? We are 5% of the world using 30% of its resources and energy? We should not be proud! A one-world government, focused on one global mission of peace, ending extreme world poverty, eradicating dictatorship and oppression by fake governments (look at what’s happening all over Africa), would lessen the negative effects of capitalism in our country. Money doesn’t have to rule or define America!
As far as religion, under a “state-run” planet, all will be accepted, allowed, respected, etc. Terrorism will definitely be less, because we’ll all be under one umbrella. Doesn’t terrorism exist because there are people fighting causes against hunger and oppression? If both are eradicated, then terrorism will cease to exist, or at least lessen! As far as the bullies of the world, and you know who they are, don’t you wish we had a global government, a world police, who could just put these people away?
I know this is incredibly idealistic, and maybe even absurd, but I think now is the perfect time to start discussing and acting on this movement! I’m sure there are negatives, and it might take a couple of generations to accomplish, but just think of all the positives! I can just imagine what that flag would look like! The possibilities are endless!
Didn’t Bill Gates just retire from Microsoft? Let’s get in touch with him! Maybe we can get on Oprah, along with Bono, Dr. Phil, Arnold “the governator” Schwarzenegger, Steven Jobs, the people who run Disney, and whoever wins the presidency! Myspace, YouTube, Facebook, Google, TMZ, we’ll need them too!
Who’s with me?
Instead of writing a review, I will copy this following column I wrote about this book. It is also a subject that I am currently outlining as a book, having the same title, The Formula for World Peace. Here is the column:
The Formula For World Peace
By Robert Calixto
Jan. 26, 2008
Here it is. I’m throwing in my vote, my priceless two cents. It’s the elusive formula for World Peace. Yes, I believe wholeheartedly that it’s still possible, even with all the “end of the world” talks of global warming, weapons of mass destruction, new nuclear threats, terrorism, blah, blah, blah. Now is the best time to get this movement going! If there can be an America, there can be World Peace!
World Peace. We’ve all wished for it, talked about it, and argued each other on how we can obtain it. Let’s kill eight birds with one stone, shall we?
Here is the formula for world peace: A ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT! Yes, a one-world government. It’s been brewing in my brain ever since I read Charles Van Doren’s ultimate history book called “A History of Knowledge” - Past, Present, and Future. It describes “the pivotal events, people and achievements of world history”. What more can you want in a book? If I went Oprah, this would definitely be in my book club. And yes, I gave the book away as a gift quite a few times!
If you’re a “worldly-curious” person like me, love the History and the National Geographic Channels on cable television like me, if you are a quasi-history buff like me, and if you love to “know a little about everything and everyone” like me, then you’ll love “A History of Knowledge”, like me. It goes through the entire history of mankind, from the ancient civilizations, to the various “ages”, and to the emergence of modernity. It describes the various contributions of all ancient civilizations and not so ancient empires. It describes all the world’s religions, their origins, and their differences. It also describes the lives of everyone who’s had any major role in human history, very objectively.
It makes a great point in regards to the progress of human knowledge, in that it is not dependent on technology nor wealth, but in equality. Yes, that’s right, equality. “An advanced civilization depends on how much equality exists between its citizens.” This is what makes this book different from any other history-type reference book, in that “equality” is the ultimate measure of advancement.
In the book, Van Doren describes the progression of equality through “democracy”, from its origins with the Greeks, then the Romans, then the English Puritanism movement, to Abraham Lincoln’s civil war, up to Martin Luther King’s idealism. Van Doren describes how equality progressed through history, reaching the pinnacle moment, with Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”. If you didn’t already know Lincoln’s degree of significance in the progress of equality, you should really read this book!
Also in the book, Van Doren states only one formula for World Peace, a one-world government. He doesn’t specifically describe the details of how the government would work, but I’m suggesting a United States-type government, with all its “checks-and-balances” branches of government, where no one really rules supreme. The whole “rule by representation” thing would still apply. I personally believe in the “electoral college” system. The founding fathers put that in for a good reason. Sorry Al Gore, but I don’t think the popular vote is necessarily a good thing, but that’s another article.
In my opinion, the United States is the “model system”, a practice, for the eventual One World Government. We can then call it the United States of Earth, or something cooler. Just think, instead of countries, each “old country” would be become a “state”, under the One World Government, each with it’s governor, other local governments and so on. If one state has a disagreement with another, like Israel versus Lebanon, for example, they would have to answer to the USE government. World War III will never happen, because it will be downgraded to a civil war. By the way, I always wondered why it’s called “World War”. Was Mexico, Paraguay, or New Zealand involved? I didn’t think so. While we’re at it, why is it called “World Series”?
Is there a possibility for a civil war? Of course there is. But we already have the American civil war to learn from, and our experience with Abraham Lincoln would be a great reference. Also, knowing how the American founding fathers researched the ideal “democratic” system before they finalized the American Constitution, (I know of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin’s travels to Europe) we can “update” the New Constitution” as well. Not so much change it, but add fine details to it.
So who’s going to introduce this to the world? Of course the Americans will. We are already the model. We can convince everyone else by example! You might ask, how about all this talk about the world hating America? I know it’s not true. Just compare the amount of people on the planet that wants to come here versus the people on the planet that say they hate us! I know it’s not true! The world loves America!
I am not saying that the world would run their system exactly like the US of America. As a matter of fact, America in my opinion could learn from other governments! We still don’t have a universal health program in this country. Yes, we can learn a thing or two from the Canadians! Also, in my opinion there’s just too much “capitalism” in the USA. So much so that the world suffers at our expense of being a very strong capitalistic nation. What is it? We are 5% of the world using 30% of its resources and energy? We should not be proud! A one-world government, focused on one global mission of peace, ending extreme world poverty, eradicating dictatorship and oppression by fake governments (look at what’s happening all over Africa), would lessen the negative effects of capitalism in our country. Money doesn’t have to rule or define America!
As far as religion, under a “state-run” planet, all will be accepted, allowed, respected, etc. Terrorism will definitely be less, because we’ll all be under one umbrella. Doesn’t terrorism exist because there are people fighting causes against hunger and oppression? If both are eradicated, then terrorism will cease to exist, or at least lessen! As far as the bullies of the world, and you know who they are, don’t you wish we had a global government, a world police, who could just put these people away?
I know this is incredibly idealistic, and maybe even absurd, but I think now is the perfect time to start discussing and acting on this movement! I’m sure there are negatives, and it might take a couple of generations to accomplish, but just think of all the positives! I can just imagine what that flag would look like! The possibilities are endless!
Didn’t Bill Gates just retire from Microsoft? Let’s get in touch with him! Maybe we can get on Oprah, along with Bono, Dr. Phil, Arnold “the governator” Schwarzenegger, Steven Jobs, the people who run Disney, and whoever wins the presidency! Myspace, YouTube, Facebook, Google, TMZ, we’ll need them too!
Who’s with me?
September 15, 2020
Absolutely fascinating!
A History of Knowledge is a book of amazing depth and breadth. One might think that the constraint of pages would make this a surface level book, and in some ways it is. Ambitious is an understatement. But, it helps to know that Charles Van Doren, despite the notoriety he earned from the Quiz Show Scandal, earned a B.A. in Liberal Arts, a M.A. in Astrophysics, and a Ph.D. in English. The man was highly and broadly educated. Studying both Humanities and Sciences aided in his ability to write cogently and concisely on the history of knowledge - the development of ideas from the dawn of time until the 1990's. Most history books focus on governments and wars and skim anything else of interest. Doren gave us a book that talks little about wars, and then in general terms, and highlights everything else of interest - the big ideas and idea makers of history. Obviously, he couldn't give us the minutia of any ideas, nor all the people involved in developing them. However, there is enough here for anyone to dig deeper in further study. While he did not provide a bibliography, there are enough authors and works named in the text that 10 minutes and a search engine will give you all you need to dig deeper.
Caveat - I don't agree with all his conclusions. You won't either. That said, who among us has the education to tackle a project like this? Very few.
The final chapter actually includes Doren's projections for the next 100 years. He posits that science fiction writers are some of the best futurists and some of his projection read like sci-fi. But, he nailed ear buds and smart watches. When one reads his projections about genetic manipulation things start getting spooky - especially with the current conspiracy theories floating around about genetic manipulation through COVID-19 vaccines. Crazy stuff, but well within the possibilities of science and human nature.
Anyway, you should give the book a read - it is fascinating and amazing. Grab a copy and enjoy!
A History of Knowledge is a book of amazing depth and breadth. One might think that the constraint of pages would make this a surface level book, and in some ways it is. Ambitious is an understatement. But, it helps to know that Charles Van Doren, despite the notoriety he earned from the Quiz Show Scandal, earned a B.A. in Liberal Arts, a M.A. in Astrophysics, and a Ph.D. in English. The man was highly and broadly educated. Studying both Humanities and Sciences aided in his ability to write cogently and concisely on the history of knowledge - the development of ideas from the dawn of time until the 1990's. Most history books focus on governments and wars and skim anything else of interest. Doren gave us a book that talks little about wars, and then in general terms, and highlights everything else of interest - the big ideas and idea makers of history. Obviously, he couldn't give us the minutia of any ideas, nor all the people involved in developing them. However, there is enough here for anyone to dig deeper in further study. While he did not provide a bibliography, there are enough authors and works named in the text that 10 minutes and a search engine will give you all you need to dig deeper.
Caveat - I don't agree with all his conclusions. You won't either. That said, who among us has the education to tackle a project like this? Very few.
The final chapter actually includes Doren's projections for the next 100 years. He posits that science fiction writers are some of the best futurists and some of his projection read like sci-fi. But, he nailed ear buds and smart watches. When one reads his projections about genetic manipulation things start getting spooky - especially with the current conspiracy theories floating around about genetic manipulation through COVID-19 vaccines. Crazy stuff, but well within the possibilities of science and human nature.
Anyway, you should give the book a read - it is fascinating and amazing. Grab a copy and enjoy!
December 7, 2018
There's a lot to enjoy in this book. It is very readable with a suitably broad scope, and it is filled with things I didn't know or only half-knew or looked at a different way before, especially with reference to ancient times. I'll admit, that's what I was looking for most, and so that was the part I enjoyed most.
The discussion of modern times has some interesting twists--the author refers to WWI and WWII as a single war with a pause in the middle, and I found that perspective and the discussion that went with it useful. The closer we get to modern times, the more it looks like topics in cultural history rather than an overview of the progress of knowledge, and looking back over it I think that's really what the author was going for. A different title might have fit this work better. The description after the title and subtitle is probably more accurate: "The pivotal events, people, and achievements of world history." It is, after all, a single volume; he had to choose what he included.
The last section, about the future, written about 1990, is interesting because of what has come true and what hasn't. He was overly optimistic about the future of communism in China (at least so far as we can see 28 years after) but his discussion of AI sounds like it could have been written this year. He has other hits and misses, looked at with the benefit of hindsight, but it may be that the next few decades will prove him right on a few more things.
Although I was entertained and engaged in some sections, especially the first half, I did not find the entire book compelling. (Is that on me? Maybe.) Nevertheless, I give high marks for erudition and clarity, finding it comprehensible throughout, and recommend it for other non-expert history enthusiasts.
The discussion of modern times has some interesting twists--the author refers to WWI and WWII as a single war with a pause in the middle, and I found that perspective and the discussion that went with it useful. The closer we get to modern times, the more it looks like topics in cultural history rather than an overview of the progress of knowledge, and looking back over it I think that's really what the author was going for. A different title might have fit this work better. The description after the title and subtitle is probably more accurate: "The pivotal events, people, and achievements of world history." It is, after all, a single volume; he had to choose what he included.
The last section, about the future, written about 1990, is interesting because of what has come true and what hasn't. He was overly optimistic about the future of communism in China (at least so far as we can see 28 years after) but his discussion of AI sounds like it could have been written this year. He has other hits and misses, looked at with the benefit of hindsight, but it may be that the next few decades will prove him right on a few more things.
Although I was entertained and engaged in some sections, especially the first half, I did not find the entire book compelling. (Is that on me? Maybe.) Nevertheless, I give high marks for erudition and clarity, finding it comprehensible throughout, and recommend it for other non-expert history enthusiasts.
January 5, 2025
For those interested in history and anthropology, this is a great starter. The book succeeds in painting a picture of the gradual development of our human community in a manner that is both concise and adventurous. It doesn't try to be overly academic, nor is it sterile. The best way to enter into this reading is to consider the question, "How do we know what we know?" Van Doren answers by covering the major turning points in the creations of philosophies, religions, science, and written languages. It is a good refresher for students of history and for those who don't really know any history I almost feel as though this should be required reading.
Although I really loved it, I do have a few gripes. The section on Rome, while good, didn't really give a full answer as to why the Empire fell. Granted, this is not a book on Rome per se, but I feel the 5th century is owed a little bit more of an explanation beyond "Barbarians came, The End." Many argue that inflation was a serious factor, and one issue I have with this book is that Van Doren seems to openly disregard economic theories as lacking in historical importance. Asia does get some coverage, but we never got to read about the transformation of Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism as they flowed eastwards into Korea and Japan. This is a problem because it makes the book feel less like "A History of Knowledge" and moreso "A History of Knowledge in the West". Speaking of Asia, it appears Van Doren may have mistakenly stated that the Russians attacked Port Arthur when actually it was the Japanese. Lastly, I feel that Van Doren's predictions regarding future developments in AI may be a bit overly optimistic. Though, I hope he ends up being correct. Humans working alongside machines is a lot more desirable than Terminator.
Although I really loved it, I do have a few gripes. The section on Rome, while good, didn't really give a full answer as to why the Empire fell. Granted, this is not a book on Rome per se, but I feel the 5th century is owed a little bit more of an explanation beyond "Barbarians came, The End." Many argue that inflation was a serious factor, and one issue I have with this book is that Van Doren seems to openly disregard economic theories as lacking in historical importance. Asia does get some coverage, but we never got to read about the transformation of Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism as they flowed eastwards into Korea and Japan. This is a problem because it makes the book feel less like "A History of Knowledge" and moreso "A History of Knowledge in the West". Speaking of Asia, it appears Van Doren may have mistakenly stated that the Russians attacked Port Arthur when actually it was the Japanese. Lastly, I feel that Van Doren's predictions regarding future developments in AI may be a bit overly optimistic. Though, I hope he ends up being correct. Humans working alongside machines is a lot more desirable than Terminator.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2018
Rather than 5 stars, it would be more like a 4.6, but I really enjoyed reading this book. It summarizes a great part of the Western civilization history while being very clear, consistent and easy to understand. Every chapter is full of open questions which challenges the reader to be critical about the topic. Also, many books are referenced in case the reader wants to expand his/her knowledge in a particular subject.
One of the main topics of the book is the relationship between science and religion through human history. This topic is treated in a very unbiased way, and many sides are analyzed. In fact, this book changed my view of the Middle Ages, and awoke an interest in me about this time in history. I cannot wait to finally read the Divide Comedy!
The last two chapters of the book were ok. They are not necessarily bad, but compared with the rest of the book they seemed forced into the story. The book could have been better without them.
One of the main topics of the book is the relationship between science and religion through human history. This topic is treated in a very unbiased way, and many sides are analyzed. In fact, this book changed my view of the Middle Ages, and awoke an interest in me about this time in history. I cannot wait to finally read the Divide Comedy!
The last two chapters of the book were ok. They are not necessarily bad, but compared with the rest of the book they seemed forced into the story. The book could have been better without them.
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