Our Oriental Heritage: The Story of Civilization, Volume I

by Will Durant

this alternation between centralized and decentralized power is one of the cyclical rhythms of history, as if men tired alternately of immoderate liberty and excessive order.

It'll take forever to finish this book but the insights are many and profound!

The sign for 1,000,000 was a picture of a man striking his hands above his head, as if to express amazement that such a number should exist.

The Egyptians enjoyed a great variety of diseases, though they had to die of them without knowing their Greek names.

Truth does not often escape from palaces.

“it is not right that a man should make his stomach the grave of animals.”

Gieronimo Veroneo; and a Frenchman, Austin de Bordeaux.

Apparently Nope

If one follows nature and acts naturally he is much more likely to murder and eat his enemies than to practise philosophy; there is small chance of his being humble, and less of his being silent.

Burn.

The conclusion of the Oriental is logical and terrible: the rest of the world must learn to write Chinese.

within a century China will have absorbed and civilized her conquerors, and will have learned all the technique of what transiently bears the name of modern industry; roads and communications will give her unity, economy and thrift will give her funds, and a strong government will give her order and peace.

industry may lavish comforts upon the majority of men, while the worker, after paying his lowered tribute of hours to the machine, may once again become an artisan, and turn the mechanical product, by loving individual treatment, into a work of personality and art.

Let's hope!