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7 Tipping Points That Saved the World
How unusual is it, really, in the history of all known human experience, to enjoy the blessings of living free?
The answer may surprise you. In The Miracle of Freedom, Chris and Ted Stewart make a strong case that fewer than 5 percent of all people who have ever lived on the earth have lived under conditions that we could consider free. So where did freedom come from, and how are we fortunate enough to experience it in our day?
A deeper look at the human record, write the authors, reveals a series of critical events, obvious forks in the road leading to very different outcomes, that resulted in this extraordinary period in which we live. They identify and discuss seven decisive tipping points:
1. The defeat of the Assyrians in their quest to destroy the kingdom of Judah2. The victory of the Greeks over the Persians at Thermopylae and Salamis
3. Roman Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity
4. The defeat of the armies of Islam at Poitiers
5. The failure of the Mongols in their effort to conquer Europe
6. The discovery of the New World
7. The Battle of Britain in World War II
The journey to freedom has been thousands of years long. Now that it has found its place in the world, the question for those of us who experience its benefits is simply this: will we work to preserve the miracle of freedom that we enjoy today?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
164 people are currently reading
2398 people want to read
About the author
Chris Stewart
135 books275 followersChris Stewart is a bestselling author and world-record-setting Air Force pilot whose previous military techno-thrillers have been selected by the Book of the Month Club and published in six different countries. He is the author of the highly acclaimed series The Great and Terrible, as well as A Christmas Bell for Anya, which was performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during their 2005 Christmas concert. He has also been a guest editorialist for the Detroit News, commenting on matters of military readiness and national security. He is president of The Shipley Group, a nationally recognized consulting and training company and founder of the Utah Renaissance and Leadership Center.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 380 reviews
July 10, 2012
I learned a lot of history of things I want to look more into. Here are the 7 tipping points:
1) Defeat of the Assyrians in their quest to destroy Jerusalem (w/o Jews, there would be no birthplace for Christianity--crucial in developing human rights, equality, etc)
2) Greeks holding off the Persians at Thermopylae and Salamis (every single one of Leonidas' men, including himself, died in these battles. But it was a rallying cry for the rest of Greece, preventing them eventually being assimilated into Persian culture, preserving so many political developments . . . )
3) Roman Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity (saw a burning cross in the sky "In this sign, you will conquer" and won a battle, converted to Christianity, and the rest is history.)
4) The defeat of the armies of Islam at Poitiers from invading/erasing Christian Europe ("the influence of the Muslim armies on the people they conquered was unparalleled and permanent"--every land they previously conquered remains TO THIS DAY a Muslim nation.)
5) The failure of the Mongols in conquering Europe (Mongols controlled outstandingly large empire--eyes set on Europe, only the unexpected death of leader Ogodei (descendent of Genghis Khan) prevented them from taking it)
6) The discovery of the New World (Rejuvenated a declining Europe)
7) The Battle of Britain in WWII (air attack fought by ~1000 young Britians, average age 17. "Never in the field of human combat has so much been owed by so many to so few." W. Churchill)
1) Defeat of the Assyrians in their quest to destroy Jerusalem (w/o Jews, there would be no birthplace for Christianity--crucial in developing human rights, equality, etc)
2) Greeks holding off the Persians at Thermopylae and Salamis (every single one of Leonidas' men, including himself, died in these battles. But it was a rallying cry for the rest of Greece, preventing them eventually being assimilated into Persian culture, preserving so many political developments . . . )
3) Roman Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity (saw a burning cross in the sky "In this sign, you will conquer" and won a battle, converted to Christianity, and the rest is history.)
4) The defeat of the armies of Islam at Poitiers from invading/erasing Christian Europe ("the influence of the Muslim armies on the people they conquered was unparalleled and permanent"--every land they previously conquered remains TO THIS DAY a Muslim nation.)
5) The failure of the Mongols in conquering Europe (Mongols controlled outstandingly large empire--eyes set on Europe, only the unexpected death of leader Ogodei (descendent of Genghis Khan) prevented them from taking it)
6) The discovery of the New World (Rejuvenated a declining Europe)
7) The Battle of Britain in WWII (air attack fought by ~1000 young Britians, average age 17. "Never in the field of human combat has so much been owed by so many to so few." W. Churchill)
September 2, 2011
Hmm. Almost as disappointing as the book on America previously published by the Stewarts. Again, I disliked the made-up "vignettes" that are supposed to make the story easier to read. Silly device. Either you can write interesting history or you can write fiction, no need to mix the two. And then there are again the overheated "Oh, if THIS hadn't happened JUST LIKE THIS, then EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN RUINED FOREVER!" I happen to think God, and His created children, are both a little more creative than that. One can definitely quibble with the selection of the seven "tipping points" as well. And there sure is a lot of history totally ignored by the authors. After rightly pointing out that at one time, the Islamic world was far more advanced than Europe, they punt on the why and the explanation of what happened next. Some of their "democratic heroes" are pretty funny. I mean, the Spartans at Thermopylae were indeed brave and inspiring, but standardbearers s for democracy and individual rights? The SPARTANS? Come on! The authors approvingly note that the Spartans killed all deformed, weak and sickly babies, and then decide that the Roman Christians were great and democratic because . . . they didn't kill babies. ??? The logic here is a bit garbled. This will be eaten up with delight by the Glenn Beck crowd, despised by the liberals, and leave the rest of us shaking our heads.
August 27, 2011
In picking up this book, I had guessed that "The Miracle of Freedom" was simply a bit of eye-catching rhetorical hyperbole designed to add a bit of flair to a sober analysis of historical turning points, nothing more. It became swiftly apparent that, no, the authors mean that in a literal divine-triumph-of-the-Christian-God-above-all-else manner.
It seems that the authors have semi-skillfully crafted a narrow view of history which tells a grand, fantastical tale largely about the triumph of good Judeo-Christian Europeans against the darkness of everything non-Judeo-Christian. Granted, the authors make this blindingly obvious to anyone with even a marginal understanding of modern history when they claim Nazi Germany as categorically pagan (even though the Nazis expressly exterminated atheists, gypsies, and various groups of polytheistic faiths in the Holocaust) and avoid all mention of the brutality that European colonization inflicted upon naive populations.
While entertaining as short-form fantasy, the fictionalized narratives surrounding the pitched battles of various Evil Hordes vs. Righteous Judeo-Christian Underdogs seem to alternately fill the role of justifying the views of an uninformed peanut gallery through superficial entertainment and of serving as crude intellectual insult to anyone already familiar with the historical events discussed.
What's especially sad is that European civilizationhas indeed achieved amazing leaps in the formulation, definition, and enforcement of personal freedom and democratic government, but such a thesis is entirely lost in a quagmire of historical revisionism born of a Christian self-superiority complex. Consolation, perhaps, lies in the fact that authors make little effort to conceal their overarching bias.
It seems that the authors have semi-skillfully crafted a narrow view of history which tells a grand, fantastical tale largely about the triumph of good Judeo-Christian Europeans against the darkness of everything non-Judeo-Christian. Granted, the authors make this blindingly obvious to anyone with even a marginal understanding of modern history when they claim Nazi Germany as categorically pagan (even though the Nazis expressly exterminated atheists, gypsies, and various groups of polytheistic faiths in the Holocaust) and avoid all mention of the brutality that European colonization inflicted upon naive populations.
While entertaining as short-form fantasy, the fictionalized narratives surrounding the pitched battles of various Evil Hordes vs. Righteous Judeo-Christian Underdogs seem to alternately fill the role of justifying the views of an uninformed peanut gallery through superficial entertainment and of serving as crude intellectual insult to anyone already familiar with the historical events discussed.
What's especially sad is that European civilizationhas indeed achieved amazing leaps in the formulation, definition, and enforcement of personal freedom and democratic government, but such a thesis is entirely lost in a quagmire of historical revisionism born of a Christian self-superiority complex. Consolation, perhaps, lies in the fact that authors make little effort to conceal their overarching bias.
August 22, 2011
On the plus side, this book can be read quickly, the little fictional vignettes about each event are somewhat entertaining, and the book touches on some good points. That said, as a work of history, this book has a whole lot of flaws. The authors are looking at seven different events, each separated by hundreds of years. There really is very little reason for these to be presented as one narrative, other than the vague, suspect notion that all of history itself can be viewed together. The authors draw from way too few sources to address these events. Each chapter switches from fictional presentations of the event, to historical describing the event to a discussion of why the event was important. While this sounds fine and could work, in this case, it often just breaks off the flow of each discussion. Further, each chapter is just way too short to really give a full picture of each event and the different nuances of its significance.
This book clearly has a pro-European-American and Christian bias. To the authors' credit, this is stated. What makes this bias problematic is that they very clearly consider that if history had turned out differently in the case of the events presented, the modern world would certainly be worse off, especially in regards to freedom, which is a big assumption that can really not be supported.
What struck me as the most glaring example of the questionable merit of the history telling here came in the chapter on the discovery of the New World. There is absolutely no mention made of native populations in the "New World". While at times throughout the book, the authors' do mention that there were missteps on the Euro-Christian grand path to freedom, I found it baffling that they made no attempt to even acknowledge the impact of the European arrival in the New World on people already living there.
In the end, I suppose the authors' might say that their intention was just to present such a brief skimming of the topic to make their audience explore these topics further, but for me, they failed to make this point or provide readers with suggestions on how to do so. There were some potentially good points here, namely that freedom is rare and should be appreciated and defended, but the book and the history in it were just not good.
This book clearly has a pro-European-American and Christian bias. To the authors' credit, this is stated. What makes this bias problematic is that they very clearly consider that if history had turned out differently in the case of the events presented, the modern world would certainly be worse off, especially in regards to freedom, which is a big assumption that can really not be supported.
What struck me as the most glaring example of the questionable merit of the history telling here came in the chapter on the discovery of the New World. There is absolutely no mention made of native populations in the "New World". While at times throughout the book, the authors' do mention that there were missteps on the Euro-Christian grand path to freedom, I found it baffling that they made no attempt to even acknowledge the impact of the European arrival in the New World on people already living there.
In the end, I suppose the authors' might say that their intention was just to present such a brief skimming of the topic to make their audience explore these topics further, but for me, they failed to make this point or provide readers with suggestions on how to do so. There were some potentially good points here, namely that freedom is rare and should be appreciated and defended, but the book and the history in it were just not good.
April 6, 2012
If you enjoyed Skousen's "The 5,000 Year Leap" you will love this book. If you have any critical thinking skills at all, you will hate it.
August 20, 2011
Reading this book taught me how much I DON'T know about history! And I learned little bits by reading it. I actually found the conditions in the world for all of recorded history to be really depressing and I will be eternally grateful to be born in the United States, a country of freedom and liberty. There has basically been no freedom for individuals until that last few hundred years and only in relatively small areas of the world.
Two of my favorite passages:
"...our Founding Fathers clearly understood the importance of, and sought for the protection of, our economic freedom. One of the foundational freedoms mentioned in the declaration of Independence is the right to the "pursuit of happiness," which would include the right to receive the reward of our work or actions. Our Constitution also guarantees the right of private property.
Recently it has become fashionable to demonize successful individuals, as if their accomplishments were attributable to nothing more than being the lucky winners on an uneven playing field. In fact, some national leaders have become so critical of wealth and success that they actually seek to implement policies that would lead to overall DECREASES in wealth and technology. But there is no doubt that economic freedom has led to the greater common good, including less poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, and oppression of the defenseless."
"Noted American scholar Thomas Sowell relates that once a student asked his professor of history, "Where did slavery come from?"
The professor replied, "You're asking the wrong question. The real question is: Where did freedom come from?"
Dr. Sowell then goes on to explain that "slavery is one of the oldest and most universal of all human institutions. Slavery has existed among peoples around the world, as far back as recorded history goes. ...It is the idea of FREEDOM for the great masses of ordinary people that is relatively new."
Two of my favorite passages:
"...our Founding Fathers clearly understood the importance of, and sought for the protection of, our economic freedom. One of the foundational freedoms mentioned in the declaration of Independence is the right to the "pursuit of happiness," which would include the right to receive the reward of our work or actions. Our Constitution also guarantees the right of private property.
Recently it has become fashionable to demonize successful individuals, as if their accomplishments were attributable to nothing more than being the lucky winners on an uneven playing field. In fact, some national leaders have become so critical of wealth and success that they actually seek to implement policies that would lead to overall DECREASES in wealth and technology. But there is no doubt that economic freedom has led to the greater common good, including less poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, and oppression of the defenseless."
"Noted American scholar Thomas Sowell relates that once a student asked his professor of history, "Where did slavery come from?"
The professor replied, "You're asking the wrong question. The real question is: Where did freedom come from?"
Dr. Sowell then goes on to explain that "slavery is one of the oldest and most universal of all human institutions. Slavery has existed among peoples around the world, as far back as recorded history goes. ...It is the idea of FREEDOM for the great masses of ordinary people that is relatively new."
June 7, 2012
While it's not a terrible book, The Miracle of Freedom: Seven Tipping Points That Saved the World reads like a freshman-year paper. Chris Stewart does a good job sourcing his material, but it seems more like he's using his sources as a convenient way to prop up a narrative that suits current political convictions rather than the true story.
The narrative of this book goes like this: there were several events in Western history in which the Middle Eastern imperialism threatened Western-borne personal freedom-style democracy.
Actually, there is truth to that. While it may not be politically correct to say, if Islam had taken over Europe, that event may have very well snuffed out personal freedoms that evolved in Western countries.
However, the author plays down Western and Christian imperialism and monarchism. While it's true that Democracy works with Christianity, so too it was used to deny personal freedoms from many individuals in Western society. When the author not only omits this fact, he down right misinforms. For instance, Christianity abolished using slaves in the 11th century, Stewart writes. He slips that in without much explanation or a source. Maybe he's hoping that no one will challenge it if they think too much about it. Never mind that the many Christian people in America systematically held people in slavery up until the Civil War in 1864, often using the Bible as a rationale for the slavery.
This is important because the author seems to imply that democracy can only occur with Christianity. Never mind that pagans invented and operated democracies. Never mind that Christianity was also used to deny people personal freedom and still is. In fact, Voltaire, a proponent of personal freedoms, was secular and professed to not believe in any religion. Stewart seems to tacitly argue there should be no separation of church as state, which would make America look more like the Christian European Monarchies the American people abhorred.
The role of historian is not to form history to a political narrative, but should be as objective and accurate as possible. Considering that many of the sources for this book was quite old makes one doubt this book's accuracy. And the politicized narrative also makes one second guess the objectivity of the author.
The narrative of this book goes like this: there were several events in Western history in which the Middle Eastern imperialism threatened Western-borne personal freedom-style democracy.
Actually, there is truth to that. While it may not be politically correct to say, if Islam had taken over Europe, that event may have very well snuffed out personal freedoms that evolved in Western countries.
However, the author plays down Western and Christian imperialism and monarchism. While it's true that Democracy works with Christianity, so too it was used to deny personal freedoms from many individuals in Western society. When the author not only omits this fact, he down right misinforms. For instance, Christianity abolished using slaves in the 11th century, Stewart writes. He slips that in without much explanation or a source. Maybe he's hoping that no one will challenge it if they think too much about it. Never mind that the many Christian people in America systematically held people in slavery up until the Civil War in 1864, often using the Bible as a rationale for the slavery.
This is important because the author seems to imply that democracy can only occur with Christianity. Never mind that pagans invented and operated democracies. Never mind that Christianity was also used to deny people personal freedom and still is. In fact, Voltaire, a proponent of personal freedoms, was secular and professed to not believe in any religion. Stewart seems to tacitly argue there should be no separation of church as state, which would make America look more like the Christian European Monarchies the American people abhorred.
The role of historian is not to form history to a political narrative, but should be as objective and accurate as possible. Considering that many of the sources for this book was quite old makes one doubt this book's accuracy. And the politicized narrative also makes one second guess the objectivity of the author.
April 30, 2012
Interesting book built on an interesting concept. If you are one of the many who read Connections several years ago you may remember the approach. It was to go back and look at an early discovery or development and then show how forward through time different discoveries and developments came together and brought about a modern development that seemingly would have no "connection" to the earlier discovery. Here a version of this approach is applied to history.
The discussion in the book has to do with the nature of freedom and humanity. Does humanity naturally gravitate toward freedom or are free peoples and individual freedom rare?
The book looks at seven individual times and happenings in history and looks at the effect on freedom and asks about or attempts to take a look at what might have happened had things gone other than they did.
I like the book. The only problems with it are that if you have a working knowledge of the events discussed it gets a little wordy. This is not the books (or writers') fault however as it can't be assumed that everyone will be familiar with the events.
Secondly, I'd like to have seen a few other events looked at as it's clear these are not the only tipping points in history that have led to freedom and the idea of freedom.
On the whole a good book, easy to read and well constructed. Recommended.
The discussion in the book has to do with the nature of freedom and humanity. Does humanity naturally gravitate toward freedom or are free peoples and individual freedom rare?
The book looks at seven individual times and happenings in history and looks at the effect on freedom and asks about or attempts to take a look at what might have happened had things gone other than they did.
I like the book. The only problems with it are that if you have a working knowledge of the events discussed it gets a little wordy. This is not the books (or writers') fault however as it can't be assumed that everyone will be familiar with the events.
Secondly, I'd like to have seen a few other events looked at as it's clear these are not the only tipping points in history that have led to freedom and the idea of freedom.
On the whole a good book, easy to read and well constructed. Recommended.
March 29, 2012
My mom loved this book and the first one about America. I could tell this book was written by men because 6 out of the 7 things focused on military battles. The other one was about the discovery and conquest of the New World, which has violence in it as well. But then the conquerors were Western Christians and not Eastern Muslims, so that made it all right.
I just wondered what a woman writer would choose about propagating the idea of freedom and Christianity--the Gutenberg press, the idea of educating the masses, innovations in agriculture to feed people better, the polio vaccine and other medical advances? OK, Rush Limbaugh won't like my review--ha, ha!
Also, I wished maps of all the battles that were included so I could understand and visualize these important battles.
I just wondered what a woman writer would choose about propagating the idea of freedom and Christianity--the Gutenberg press, the idea of educating the masses, innovations in agriculture to feed people better, the polio vaccine and other medical advances? OK, Rush Limbaugh won't like my review--ha, ha!
Also, I wished maps of all the battles that were included so I could understand and visualize these important battles.
July 24, 2013
Chris and Ted Stewart have looked over world events and chosen 7 that they believe were essential in leading to freedom...for some.
Many of the G.R. reviewers dispute the importance of the 7 events chosen by the Stewarts; they found the events too war centered. I wonder if they read the entire book; in particular, the conclusion.
The conclusion ties the events to freedom by focusing on these questions:
-Where did freedom come from? Included is this quote from Thomas Sowell, "Slavery is one of the oldest and most universal of all human institutions. Slavery has existed among peoples around the world, as far back as recorded history goes.... It is the idea of freedom for the great masses of ordinary people that is relatively new." (279)
-How was freedom born? Steward maintains, "We contend that freedom exists because Christian Europe created an environment where an incredibly rare combination of values--commitment to reason, personal accountability, individual freedom, equality, rule of law, the right of self-government--provided a philosophical nursery that allowed these ideas to take root and then to flourish." (279)
-How does freedom survive?
-What is the natural state of mankind?
-Is freedom the rule or the exception? Steward asserts: "The history of the world has been shaped in critical ways by these major events. This shaping has allowed, in just the last few centuries, the aberration that is the modern West, permitting a tiny sliver of all of mankind to participate in the blessings of freedom that we enjoy today." (281)
Another criticism of this book pertains to the vignettes inserted in each event; many say you shouldn't mix nonfiction and fiction. I do agree, but.... I look back to my 9th grade world history teacher who was one of my best history teachers. He brought history to life by helping us to imagine we were there. Make no mistake, we could imagine what life was like at the time without becoming confused and thinking we were there or that those minor players in the story were great historical figures.
The Stewarts use of stories (in a different font) in this book may be too juvenile for some, but it was effective in helping me better understand ancient historical events.
While many point to religion as the cause of wars, the authors show the importance of Christianity through the words of Thomas Woods:
"That Western civilization stands indebted to the Church for the university system, charitable work, international law, the sciences, important legal principles, and much else besides has not exactly been impressed upon them with terrific zeal. Western civilization owes far more to the Catholic Church than most people--Catholics included--often realize." (110)
In fundamentalist Islam, Sharia Law is divine, no man can add or take away from the law. Therefore, there is no need for Parliament or Congress. At first Islam denounced privilege, but evolved to an aristocracy of sorts. (145)
Without equality under the law, there is no freedom. Under Sharia Law, there are three groups that will never be equal to Muslim men: women, slaves, and unbelievers. (147)
This may not be the perfect beach read, but the authors do a good job of presenting history in an interesting way. They also raise important questions about man's freedom.
Read this book with an open mind! There are many other great events that led man to the opportunity for freedom, but given the history of the world, it is nothing short of a miracle that many live free today. I would personally add: do all you can to preserve freedom!
Many of the G.R. reviewers dispute the importance of the 7 events chosen by the Stewarts; they found the events too war centered. I wonder if they read the entire book; in particular, the conclusion.
The conclusion ties the events to freedom by focusing on these questions:
-Where did freedom come from? Included is this quote from Thomas Sowell, "Slavery is one of the oldest and most universal of all human institutions. Slavery has existed among peoples around the world, as far back as recorded history goes.... It is the idea of freedom for the great masses of ordinary people that is relatively new." (279)
-How was freedom born? Steward maintains, "We contend that freedom exists because Christian Europe created an environment where an incredibly rare combination of values--commitment to reason, personal accountability, individual freedom, equality, rule of law, the right of self-government--provided a philosophical nursery that allowed these ideas to take root and then to flourish." (279)
-How does freedom survive?
-What is the natural state of mankind?
-Is freedom the rule or the exception? Steward asserts: "The history of the world has been shaped in critical ways by these major events. This shaping has allowed, in just the last few centuries, the aberration that is the modern West, permitting a tiny sliver of all of mankind to participate in the blessings of freedom that we enjoy today." (281)
Another criticism of this book pertains to the vignettes inserted in each event; many say you shouldn't mix nonfiction and fiction. I do agree, but.... I look back to my 9th grade world history teacher who was one of my best history teachers. He brought history to life by helping us to imagine we were there. Make no mistake, we could imagine what life was like at the time without becoming confused and thinking we were there or that those minor players in the story were great historical figures.
The Stewarts use of stories (in a different font) in this book may be too juvenile for some, but it was effective in helping me better understand ancient historical events.
While many point to religion as the cause of wars, the authors show the importance of Christianity through the words of Thomas Woods:
"That Western civilization stands indebted to the Church for the university system, charitable work, international law, the sciences, important legal principles, and much else besides has not exactly been impressed upon them with terrific zeal. Western civilization owes far more to the Catholic Church than most people--Catholics included--often realize." (110)
In fundamentalist Islam, Sharia Law is divine, no man can add or take away from the law. Therefore, there is no need for Parliament or Congress. At first Islam denounced privilege, but evolved to an aristocracy of sorts. (145)
Without equality under the law, there is no freedom. Under Sharia Law, there are three groups that will never be equal to Muslim men: women, slaves, and unbelievers. (147)
This may not be the perfect beach read, but the authors do a good job of presenting history in an interesting way. They also raise important questions about man's freedom.
Read this book with an open mind! There are many other great events that led man to the opportunity for freedom, but given the history of the world, it is nothing short of a miracle that many live free today. I would personally add: do all you can to preserve freedom!
December 19, 2019
Interesting, and thought provoking! A great reminder of the precious gift of freedom that we have in our country.
May 12, 2018
I would have never read this book, but it was the selection for one of my book clubs this month. As I was reminded at our club discussion, I am not the intended audience for this work (I have a masters degree in medieval history and continue to read voraciously). It's supposed to be an introduction to some crucial moments in our past where the fate of freedom stood in the balance. I like that concept, and I'm all for getting more people interested in history, but Stewart and Stewart's execution of the idea drove me crazy. They are not historians, and don't have the background to tackle this sort of synthesis. Time after time I went to the footnotes wondering where they were getting their interpretations, and found myself saying, "No wonder." This is very much a case of choosing the sources and details that tell the story you want and ignoring everything else (or more likely not having researched widely enough to even know anything else), particularly the recognized authorities on subjects and time periods. Just one example -- the Stewarts are very keen to celebrate Christianity and minimize contributions of Islam, even going so far as to give the lion's share of credit to the Catholic Church for the rise of universities and the emergence from the "dark ages." This is very biased and one-dimensional "history."
In some instances I wasn't irritated so much with their lack of objectivity as with their oversimplification of matters. I also rolled my eyes at their fictional blips which were intended to connect the reader to an unfamiliar time period, but I found silly. I was especially annoyed by the wise Arab trader from 1493 who foretold to his clueless Italian counterpart that because of Columbus' voyage the future belonged to Europe. And don't get me started about the two brothers fighting on opposite sides at the Battle of Poitiers...
I could go on and on, but I don't want to take the time. Keeping in mind, however, that I liked the concept and other people at my book club gained from reading The Miracle of Freedom, I'll give it 3 stars. On second thought, no, I'm giving it a 2, because I want my stars to pull down the overall rating. I don't want to contribute to people thinking this is good historical writing!
In some instances I wasn't irritated so much with their lack of objectivity as with their oversimplification of matters. I also rolled my eyes at their fictional blips which were intended to connect the reader to an unfamiliar time period, but I found silly. I was especially annoyed by the wise Arab trader from 1493 who foretold to his clueless Italian counterpart that because of Columbus' voyage the future belonged to Europe. And don't get me started about the two brothers fighting on opposite sides at the Battle of Poitiers...
I could go on and on, but I don't want to take the time. Keeping in mind, however, that I liked the concept and other people at my book club gained from reading The Miracle of Freedom, I'll give it 3 stars. On second thought, no, I'm giving it a 2, because I want my stars to pull down the overall rating. I don't want to contribute to people thinking this is good historical writing!
January 28, 2012
I enjoyed this book. It does take for granted that our western values of freedom, equality, reason & rule of law, are the right ones, and that Christianity played a large part in the development of those values. I myself happen to agree with both of those premises, but not everybody does. The book describes seven critical turning points where the culture with the better values won out against a more brutal, repressive culture, against very long odds. In some cases the "better" culture was only slightly better. The Greeks were, to my knowledge, the world's first democracy, so they probably deserved to win against the Persians, but it's important to keep in mind that the Greeks were also slave-holders and put imperfect infants to death by exposure. So, by our modern standards, they were no prize themselves. But, I think the point is, a culture that is imperfect but struggling towards ideals is preferable to a culture that is based on brute force and domination. I fervently agree with that, and it really bothers me that so many modern cultural relativists refuse to make any distinction.
January 2, 2013
I got this book as a gift from a relative, and I found it to be deeply disturbing. For starters, it's full of inaccuracies and distortions of every kind. Perhaps the most heinous example is that one of the so-called tipping points, a supposed boon to freedom, is the discovery of America. Why? Because of the huge infusion of gold and silver to European monarchies, which allowed them to fund various military efforts against the Ottoman empire (or in other words, Muslims). There's NOT A SINGLE WORD about the inhabitants of the Americas who died in the process of bringing this wealth of gold and silver from the New World to the Old World. Literally not a word. How shameful is that? The deaths of 50 million people (to use a conservative estimate) are apparently not even worth mentioning, as the only noteworthy aspect is the gold and silver that revitalized European monarchies, allowing them to oppress their own populations and kills lots of Muslims. This is what qualifies as one of the great moments in the history of freedom?
June 18, 2017
کتاب جالبیه. موقعیت های حساس تاریخ رو شخصی سازی کرده. دیالوگ های بین افراد رو از خودش ساخته و شدید دِرامِش کرده. اول کتاب هم با جمله عجیبی شروع میشه که میگه: حوادث مهم دیگه ای هم بود که باید توی این کتاب ذکر میشد اما به خاطر کمبود فضا و زمان به همین 7 تا بسنده میکنیم. از نظر وقایع تاریخی هم اکثرا درسته به جز کریستوف کلمب و داستانش با کلیسای پروتستان. ولی درنهایت موضوع جالبی داشت و منطقی قضیه ها رو بررسی میکرد. تمرکزش روی بعضی وقایع بیشتر از وقایع دیگه بود ولی خب، سخته کل تاریخ رو توی 7 تا واقعه خلاصه کنی.
Slavery has existed among peoples around the world, as far back as recorded history goes. ...It is the idea of freedom for the great masses of ordinary people that is relatively new.
Slavery has existed among peoples around the world, as far back as recorded history goes. ...It is the idea of freedom for the great masses of ordinary people that is relatively new.
March 10, 2013
I am still reading this book and am fascinated! Everyone should read this. These authors give you much to think about. "...fewer than five billion of the earth's total inhabitants have ever lived under conditions that we could consider free. This would be something like 4.5 percent of people who have ever lived. And these are generous estimates...freedom is a relatively unstable marvel."
"Mankind's history..is a tragic history where humdreds of millions of unfortunate souls have been slaughtered, mostly by their own government." Wow.
"Mankind's history..is a tragic history where humdreds of millions of unfortunate souls have been slaughtered, mostly by their own government." Wow.
November 15, 2015
It’s easy for us to forget in modern times that prior to the American Revolution, “self-determination” was a concept that few ordinary people had ever had, and through the eyes of a few fictional accounts from history, we see how pawns are treated poorly by the powerful, but change and improvement – though excruciatingly gradual for those on the blunt end of history’s hammer – gradually came through these 7 tipping points.
June 4, 2022
“…when we consider the complicated and extraordinarily unlikely series of events that led to the existence of freedom in our day; when we consider the fact that freedom runs counter to what seems to be the natural order of men and that, as will be shown, an incredibly small percentage of human beings have had the blessing of living free; the widespread existence of freedom in our day does indeed seem to be a miraculous event… In the following chapters, we hope to show how, at critical tipping points in world history, certain events took place so as to assure that freedom and democracy would be common in this day.” (Preface, 7 Tipping Points that Saved the World, Stewart & Stewart, pg. vii)
I found this strange brew of history, nationalism, theology and…. Pride? Almost completely unpalatable. The authors are focused on a construction of history that is somewhat oblivious to the complex tapestry that makes up the history of humanity, the earth and our relationship to the Creator.
As a believer, speaking to the author and other readers, there is ONE Tipping Point that saved the world: the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Messiah.
I think Churchill struck the right note:
“Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…” Winston S Churchill, 11 November 1947
Three overwhelming thoughts built in my mind as the desire to finish the book drained away:
1) America is not the focal point of history.
2) A strong sense of anthropology. Humanity can and will eventually ruin everything, except for God Himself Who cannot be corrupted. At every juncture, humanity has demonstrated a compulsive ability to be false, faithless, and corrupt.
3) God will not share His glory – full stop. He will not share His glory with either America or our form of government.
Interestingly, it was reading The Imitation of Christ by Tomas A Kempis that brought my review of this book into focus. Written in 1418, while the New World was just being discovered and America was but a nation in God’s sovereignly drawn map, Kempis has far more depth to share illuminating a Biblical perspective on God, history and the human condition.
The Imitation of Christ, Kempis, 1418
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I found this strange brew of history, nationalism, theology and…. Pride? Almost completely unpalatable. The authors are focused on a construction of history that is somewhat oblivious to the complex tapestry that makes up the history of humanity, the earth and our relationship to the Creator.
As a believer, speaking to the author and other readers, there is ONE Tipping Point that saved the world: the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Messiah.
I think Churchill struck the right note:
“Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…” Winston S Churchill, 11 November 1947
Three overwhelming thoughts built in my mind as the desire to finish the book drained away:
1) America is not the focal point of history.
2) A strong sense of anthropology. Humanity can and will eventually ruin everything, except for God Himself Who cannot be corrupted. At every juncture, humanity has demonstrated a compulsive ability to be false, faithless, and corrupt.
3) God will not share His glory – full stop. He will not share His glory with either America or our form of government.
Interestingly, it was reading The Imitation of Christ by Tomas A Kempis that brought my review of this book into focus. Written in 1418, while the New World was just being discovered and America was but a nation in God’s sovereignly drawn map, Kempis has far more depth to share illuminating a Biblical perspective on God, history and the human condition.
The Imitation of Christ, Kempis, 1418
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
March 18, 2020
meh. I didn't like the story parts. I would have much preferred to have just the facts. I felt like some of the things written were contradictory to each other. I wasn't sure I agreed with all of Stewart's conclusions. I really hated the chapter on how the New World saved the Old. I loved the chapter on the Battle of Britain. I also really liked the including chapter...There are some things in it that may help with an essay I will be writing soon. (Almost made me want to add a star.) Some of the other history facts were interesting, but I just don't think this is a book I will be keeping.
April 19, 2018
"In order for freedom and democracy to survive, injustice must be defeated. It will not simply disappear. It must be cast aside." p.282
This is the premise of the book.
"We are living a life that the vast majority of the earth's historical inhabitants could not have imagined, a life they never could have hoped to enjoy." p. 282
This is the miracle.
The more I read, the more I am struck by how hopelessly uneducated I am when it comes to world history. I was familiar with only 2 of the 7 events discussed in this book. It is inspiring, and well documented. And although some reviews spoke of over dramatization, I felt that the point was to prove the miracle. These events truly changed history. There is no question of that. Was it a miracle? You decide!
This is the premise of the book.
"We are living a life that the vast majority of the earth's historical inhabitants could not have imagined, a life they never could have hoped to enjoy." p. 282
This is the miracle.
The more I read, the more I am struck by how hopelessly uneducated I am when it comes to world history. I was familiar with only 2 of the 7 events discussed in this book. It is inspiring, and well documented. And although some reviews spoke of over dramatization, I felt that the point was to prove the miracle. These events truly changed history. There is no question of that. Was it a miracle? You decide!
September 6, 2020
Excellent, informative, interesting...Seven Tipping Points puts into perspective how precious and rare the liberty we are privileged to enjoy is in the history of the world, and how urgent it is that we preserve it.
I highly recommend this book to any and all who love and cherish freedom.
I highly recommend this book to any and all who love and cherish freedom.
November 19, 2023
Told from a very Christian and American-centric perspective, so keep that in mind, but an intriguing look into some of the most pivotal points in history. Stewart makes some compelling arguments that are worth pondering. 3.5 stars
January 27, 2018
This was a very interesting read. I feel like I learned a lot about several historical cultures and religions. I like how the authors organized and presented the content, and I enjoyed reading this book.
March 11, 2017
It only gets 2 stars because I feel I did learn a bit of history somewhere within the dramatized anecdotes & the obvious Western civilization/Christian supremacy propaganda.
I mean it's one thing to say that a forward-minded thinkers planted seeds of freedom; and also another to make claims on legitimacy of one religion over another (most religious people do this often). But to suggest that Christianity was the cornerstone of non-slave thinking is at worst absurd, and at best unexplained in the book.
The authors are quick to address and immediately dismiss the dark times of Christianity, while doing the same thing about the prosperity of the Islamic Golden Age - when science, economics, and culture flourished. "Yes that happened, but that doesn't really count". (paraphrasing).
They fail to address the role of individuals and the rise of extremism. This is happening in the US now and it has little to do with religion.
I did think it was interesting, however, to consider that slavery is not the exception but the norm, and that we must be diligent to maintain freedom. It felt like a message towards original sin - the natural evil of man. I'm an optimist, so I don't agree with this, but I do believe we lose freedom because humans become complacent.
I mean it's one thing to say that a forward-minded thinkers planted seeds of freedom; and also another to make claims on legitimacy of one religion over another (most religious people do this often). But to suggest that Christianity was the cornerstone of non-slave thinking is at worst absurd, and at best unexplained in the book.
The authors are quick to address and immediately dismiss the dark times of Christianity, while doing the same thing about the prosperity of the Islamic Golden Age - when science, economics, and culture flourished. "Yes that happened, but that doesn't really count". (paraphrasing).
They fail to address the role of individuals and the rise of extremism. This is happening in the US now and it has little to do with religion.
I did think it was interesting, however, to consider that slavery is not the exception but the norm, and that we must be diligent to maintain freedom. It felt like a message towards original sin - the natural evil of man. I'm an optimist, so I don't agree with this, but I do believe we lose freedom because humans become complacent.
November 26, 2013
The authors of this book picked 7 historical events that they felt had a huge impact on the development of freedom, democracy and the extrodinary world of indiviual rights that we live in today in the western world.The 7 "tipping points" are: 1) The defeat of the Assyrians in their quest to destroy the kingdom of Judah; 2) The victory of the Greeks over the Persians at Thermopylae and Salamis; 3) Roman Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity; 4) the defeat of the armies of Islam at Poitiers; 5) The failure of the Mongols in their effort to conquer Europe; 6) the discovery of the New World; and 7) The Battle of Britain in World War II. Although I agree that each of these events was very important in shaping the western world, I think the authors have oversimplyfied the consequences and looked at history with a very biased view. As an American and a Christian, I am the first to say that all of this sounded very good and I am glad that things turned out the way they did, but I was left with the feeling that there was much more going on.
June 26, 2022
If you like books that make you think this is the one for you. This book helped me to appreciate the freedom that I enjoy. One of the first of the 7 Points was that of the defeat of the Assyrians in their quest to destroy the kingdom of Judah. I know I had read about this is the Old Testament, but this book went into greater detail. I had to go and reread the Bible to refresh my memory on the occurrence in the Old Testament. I will never read that story again and not think of this book and the insight it gave me. The book also helps me to appreciate Christianity and the contributions to our freedoms today. I would say this book is probably one of my top 10 favorites of all times. I know I will be passing this book on for someone else to read and appreciate. After reading this book I had The 7 Miracles that Saved American downloaded into my Kindle.
July 5, 2011
The authors make a strong case that less than 5% of all people who have ever lived have lived under conditions that we would term "free". They then talk about 7 events in history that were forks in the road toward freedom, where, if the outcome had been different the freedom we now experience may never have come into being. Very interesting. Sections of fictional reenactment before and after the historical facts bring the events to life and make this a quick and fascinating read that covers 3000 years of history from the defeat of Assyrian in their quest to destroy Judah to the Battle of Britain in WWII.
February 8, 2012
Same style and feel to this book as their other book "Seven Miracles that Saved America". The beginning of the book talks of democracy and freedom having been enjoyed by a tiny portion of those who have ever lived on earth...and we are that tiny portion. It is truly amazing to see this as I read of the seven events that had a great affect in bringing forth the miracle of freedom. I have always felt proud to be an American and very grateful for the freedoms that I have enjoyed, but after reading this book I feel an even greater appreciation for that miracle.
August 16, 2012
This book was great - I really enjoyed it. It left me with a deep sense of gratitude for the freedoms I enjoy, and for our Constitution, and for people throughout history who recognized the need for things like freedom and democracy and were willing to fight for it. It left me feeling even more awe for the fact that principles of freedom were with our nation from the beginning. What a blessing! (Nice to listen to on CD, too.)
July 15, 2011
I think this book should have a sub caption that reads "History for Dummies" I love the fact that Chris and Ted Stewart can take historical facts and write them in such a way that is both enthralling and uncomplicated for "non- historical majors" like me to understand.
What an eye opener this book was! I started the book so naive in my understanding of freedom, but finished it enlightened.
What an eye opener this book was! I started the book so naive in my understanding of freedom, but finished it enlightened.
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