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Hannah (27 KP) rated Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind in Books
Jun 6, 2017
Succinct and simple telling of human history (1 more)
Motivating
Interesting and stimulating account of human history
This book is absolutely a must-read for anyone interested in the history of humankind, the development of societies, language, money and patriarchy, and what the future might hold for humankind.
This book is a simple retelling of what we currently know about the history of humankind. It follows a path from our common ancestor with apes through the stages of revolution to our modern era. It takes a deeper look at the Argicultural and Cognitive Revolutions, and at the progressions of human society over thousands of years, including the development of writing, money and laws.
The author challenges many of the beliefs and myths we hold in our age, asking us to question why things are as they are. Why has society typically been patriarchal throughout our long history? Why, with a closer look at the structure of other species' societies, do we not live in a matriarchal society? He raises many questions that I never previously realised or thought about, and really has the capability of changing the way you look st society and how it developed.
This is a fascinating, well-written work sure to keep you hooked for the entirety of the book. I can't recommend this book enough to anyone with a curious or enquiring mind.
This book is a simple retelling of what we currently know about the history of humankind. It follows a path from our common ancestor with apes through the stages of revolution to our modern era. It takes a deeper look at the Argicultural and Cognitive Revolutions, and at the progressions of human society over thousands of years, including the development of writing, money and laws.
The author challenges many of the beliefs and myths we hold in our age, asking us to question why things are as they are. Why has society typically been patriarchal throughout our long history? Why, with a closer look at the structure of other species' societies, do we not live in a matriarchal society? He raises many questions that I never previously realised or thought about, and really has the capability of changing the way you look st society and how it developed.
This is a fascinating, well-written work sure to keep you hooked for the entirety of the book. I can't recommend this book enough to anyone with a curious or enquiring mind.
David McK (3251 KP) rated Young Bloods (Revolution, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Back in 2006/07, Simon Scarrow took a short break from writing his more famous Eagle/Cato series of books to concentrate on a new quadrilogy of books, centred around two military greats opposed to each other: Arthur Wellesley (the future Duke of Wellington) and Napoleon Bonaparte.
This is the first of those books, taking it roughly sectiona bout to follw each character through the trials and tribulations of their early life and formative years: through Arthur Wesley (as it was initailly spelled) early life in Ireland, to his move to Engalnd and back again to Dublin alongside Napoleon Bueno Parte (as the Corsican spelling has it) education in France, his attempts to gain Corsican indendepence and his rise during the period of the French Revolution.
As the first in the sereis, this (I felt) did not have - maybe - the 'grip' of the earlier Cato/Macro Roman legion books: there was nothing really in this that made me want to rush out and complete the set.
Having said, that, however, that is just what I did (complete the set), but more from a sense of completionism than for any other real reason. From what I remember (it's been a while since I read them - I may go back and do just that), the sequels are better!
This is the first of those books, taking it roughly sectiona bout to follw each character through the trials and tribulations of their early life and formative years: through Arthur Wesley (as it was initailly spelled) early life in Ireland, to his move to Engalnd and back again to Dublin alongside Napoleon Bueno Parte (as the Corsican spelling has it) education in France, his attempts to gain Corsican indendepence and his rise during the period of the French Revolution.
As the first in the sereis, this (I felt) did not have - maybe - the 'grip' of the earlier Cato/Macro Roman legion books: there was nothing really in this that made me want to rush out and complete the set.
Having said, that, however, that is just what I did (complete the set), but more from a sense of completionism than for any other real reason. From what I remember (it's been a while since I read them - I may go back and do just that), the sequels are better!
Trackie (153 KP) rated Bumblebee (2018) in Movies
Jan 19, 2019
Everything (3 more)
Just as good if not better the more you watch it.
Amazing Graphics
The transformation scenes
BumbleBee
This film is a complete reboot, a revolution in the Transformer cinematic world. Wow, this is the start of something special. It has a formula that could be repeated time and time again with other Transformer's characters building up to an enormous film on the scale of Avengers. Wow would ever of thought that Transformers would be on par with Avengers.
The more you watch it, the better it gets.
It has everything you could want! Action, loss, struggle, conflict, evil, and bright-shining goodness that will leave a deep impression on your soul.
It displays a friendship that will rip your heart out! Honestly, I cried several times during the movie because the relationship between the girl and the Transformer was so touching. It was just SO touching and heart-warming that it will leave you feeling good all over!
The Decepticons were believably menacing–even evoking emotions similar to the Terminator movies. They were dangerous beings. But they weren't two-dimensional villains. They had personality, motive, and intelligence.
The action scenes were excellent! Bumblebee demonstrates the power of well-placed action in a well-paced storyline.
I just can't say enough! Well done!! See this movie several times! I'm telling you, you won't regret it.
The more you watch it, the better it gets.
It has everything you could want! Action, loss, struggle, conflict, evil, and bright-shining goodness that will leave a deep impression on your soul.
It displays a friendship that will rip your heart out! Honestly, I cried several times during the movie because the relationship between the girl and the Transformer was so touching. It was just SO touching and heart-warming that it will leave you feeling good all over!
The Decepticons were believably menacing–even evoking emotions similar to the Terminator movies. They were dangerous beings. But they weren't two-dimensional villains. They had personality, motive, and intelligence.
The action scenes were excellent! Bumblebee demonstrates the power of well-placed action in a well-paced storyline.
I just can't say enough! Well done!! See this movie several times! I'm telling you, you won't regret it.
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated The Shopkeeper's Widow in Books
Feb 23, 2021
I love the era that this book was set in! The American Revolution was an is a time of difficult decisions and torn loyalties which Izzy James portrays in very well laid out detail. I believe that this book is standalone.
The main characters Delany and Field were very interesting. They made some very hard decisions, and by the end of the book, you could vividly see their growth as a character. I liked Delany’s strength and fortitude through her trials in life (I can only hope to weather life like her!) and Flint really seemed to come to life through the story. I enjoyed Izzy James’ portrayal of what indentured people went through and how some of them overcame their circumstances. Mixed along with the ever-increasing threat of war, I thought this book was very intriguing. I will say that I had a hard time getting into it at first, I think due to the way the characters speak, but after a couple of chapters, I started to enjoy the flow of their words.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the themes presented, the interesting time period, and the well-done characters. I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
The main characters Delany and Field were very interesting. They made some very hard decisions, and by the end of the book, you could vividly see their growth as a character. I liked Delany’s strength and fortitude through her trials in life (I can only hope to weather life like her!) and Flint really seemed to come to life through the story. I enjoyed Izzy James’ portrayal of what indentured people went through and how some of them overcame their circumstances. Mixed along with the ever-increasing threat of war, I thought this book was very intriguing. I will say that I had a hard time getting into it at first, I think due to the way the characters speak, but after a couple of chapters, I started to enjoy the flow of their words.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the themes presented, the interesting time period, and the well-done characters. I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated Stick A Flag In It: 1,000 Years Of Bizarre History From Britain And Beyond in Books
Dec 30, 2021
This was a look at our British History which was not only interesting but also amusing. The little comments from the author made me laugh at times as well as the little stories that aren’t well known from our history.
I loved the names of the chapters as they really did sum up the information in the chapter both brilliantly and amusingly.
This is definitely a book that you can dip in and out of and one that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in the history of Britain, even if you already think that you know a lot about it.
I would rate it 9 stars as sometimes I got a bit confused as some of the chapters in between the main timeline ones jumped about so sometimes I would think that I was further along in history than I was (for example I thought something happened around the industrial revolution but it became clear that it was actually around the time of Elizabeth I) but other than this, I thoroughly enjoyed it and loved the fact that over the busiest time of year I could just dip in and out of it and not lose the information that I had already read.
Arran Lomas has renewed the love I already had for history with this book!
I loved the names of the chapters as they really did sum up the information in the chapter both brilliantly and amusingly.
This is definitely a book that you can dip in and out of and one that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in the history of Britain, even if you already think that you know a lot about it.
I would rate it 9 stars as sometimes I got a bit confused as some of the chapters in between the main timeline ones jumped about so sometimes I would think that I was further along in history than I was (for example I thought something happened around the industrial revolution but it became clear that it was actually around the time of Elizabeth I) but other than this, I thoroughly enjoyed it and loved the fact that over the busiest time of year I could just dip in and out of it and not lose the information that I had already read.
Arran Lomas has renewed the love I already had for history with this book!
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Revolution! in Tabletop Games
Oct 31, 2019
My wife is not able to play games with me as much as either of us would like. We have kids, dogs, and other life responsibilities that limit our gaming time together. However, if there ever was a game that she loves to play and absolutely has figured out, it’s Revolution! by Steve Jackson Games (yes, the Munchkin Man). So that’s why I am including her guest score on this review. She seems to like it an awful lot.
Revolution! is an area control bidding game of influencing kingdom inhabitants to jockey for a superior position of power to win the game. The key is influencing the right people at the right time to gain resources, influence in the kingdom, and support (VPs).
DISCLAIMER – We are using the expansion “The Palace” along with our review as it add components to play with up to 6 people, and our game nights tend toward 6 players more than 4. The base game alone plays up to 4 players and uses 4 fewer characters to influence. Should we add in the “Anarchy” expansion we will either add that information here or link to the review from here. -T
To setup, place the main kingdom board on the table that outlines the different districts in which the players will be vying for majority influence. Each player chooses a color and receives all color-matched components: player reference screen, cubes, disc, and one bid board (which are all identical). Each player will also receive one Force token (red fist), Blackmail token (black envelope), and three Gold tokens (gold coins). You are now ready to begin.
Turns are taken simultaneously. Players will place tokens on their bid boards to denote which type of influence they plan to exert on an inhabitant and how many of each. For instance, you may place all your coins on the General and hope you win. Or maybe you want to place a coin and a blackmail on the Printer. Once all players have placed their influence on their boards, the privacy screens are lifted and each kingdom character is compared individually, one by one. Did your three Coins on the General fly, or did someone add a Blackmail token and prevail? Wait, one Blackmail wins? Yes, in Revolution! the gold Coins are the lowest value influence. So one Blackmail alone is enough to win against ANY NUMBER of Coins. Now, one Blackmail alone is defeated by one Blackmail and one Coin, but simply one Force would beat both of those attempts, as Force is the most powerful token type, but not all inhabitants are affected by Force. Take your General for example. Their color on the bid board is red, meaning that a red token will have no effect here. Once the winners of each kingdom person have been determined, the winners receive the benefits offered by each character. I will not go into detail the benefits each character gives you, but for an example (shown below on the play pic), the General awards the winner with one Support (VP), one Force (fist token), and you may place an influence cube in the Fortress. Before the next turn, each player will check their token collection and anyone who has less than five tokens will receive a number of Coins to bring their collection to five tokens.
As the bidding phase gains you resources for future rounds, or instant Support, etc, the second half of a round is influencing the different districts within the kingdom. You do this placing your won cubes on any space within a specific district to attempt majority control of it. At the end of the game, the players with majority control of each district will receive Support for the districts that correspond with what is printed on the board. These are VERY important as you can amass tons of Support from district majorities. The game continues in this fashion for a number of rounds until all influence spaces on the main kingdom board are full. Players then check for majority in each district and apply Support on the VP track. The player with the most Support at the end of the game is the winner! (It will be Kristin.)
Components. This is a heavy game, not in complexity, but in component weight. The boards are all of great quality, the cardboard tokens are nice, the wooden cubes are typical quality. The art on the game is good, if dated, but good. I have no complaints about the components.
As you can see from our scores at the top, we REALLY like this game. As one of the highest ranking games on BGG from Steve Jackson Games, this one delivers a great time of double thinking, bluffing your neighbors, and certainly rewards players for their great strategy. We used to play this game ALL THE TIME until it became futile playing against my wife. She is that good. At one point I thought I had her strategy figured out, but I have since lost it. However, I am always eager to play this and try again. One of these days I will claim victory. Revolution! could definitely stand an update, or re-theme, or something along with a reprint to bring it into more homes, but I am glad I have a copy (with all the expansions *shoulder brush*) and it will not be leaving my collection any time soon. That’s a mark of a great game, and that’s partly why Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a close-to-a-Golden-Feather-Award-recipient 23 / 24. If you see one in the wild, pick it up!
Revolution! is an area control bidding game of influencing kingdom inhabitants to jockey for a superior position of power to win the game. The key is influencing the right people at the right time to gain resources, influence in the kingdom, and support (VPs).
DISCLAIMER – We are using the expansion “The Palace” along with our review as it add components to play with up to 6 people, and our game nights tend toward 6 players more than 4. The base game alone plays up to 4 players and uses 4 fewer characters to influence. Should we add in the “Anarchy” expansion we will either add that information here or link to the review from here. -T
To setup, place the main kingdom board on the table that outlines the different districts in which the players will be vying for majority influence. Each player chooses a color and receives all color-matched components: player reference screen, cubes, disc, and one bid board (which are all identical). Each player will also receive one Force token (red fist), Blackmail token (black envelope), and three Gold tokens (gold coins). You are now ready to begin.
Turns are taken simultaneously. Players will place tokens on their bid boards to denote which type of influence they plan to exert on an inhabitant and how many of each. For instance, you may place all your coins on the General and hope you win. Or maybe you want to place a coin and a blackmail on the Printer. Once all players have placed their influence on their boards, the privacy screens are lifted and each kingdom character is compared individually, one by one. Did your three Coins on the General fly, or did someone add a Blackmail token and prevail? Wait, one Blackmail wins? Yes, in Revolution! the gold Coins are the lowest value influence. So one Blackmail alone is enough to win against ANY NUMBER of Coins. Now, one Blackmail alone is defeated by one Blackmail and one Coin, but simply one Force would beat both of those attempts, as Force is the most powerful token type, but not all inhabitants are affected by Force. Take your General for example. Their color on the bid board is red, meaning that a red token will have no effect here. Once the winners of each kingdom person have been determined, the winners receive the benefits offered by each character. I will not go into detail the benefits each character gives you, but for an example (shown below on the play pic), the General awards the winner with one Support (VP), one Force (fist token), and you may place an influence cube in the Fortress. Before the next turn, each player will check their token collection and anyone who has less than five tokens will receive a number of Coins to bring their collection to five tokens.
As the bidding phase gains you resources for future rounds, or instant Support, etc, the second half of a round is influencing the different districts within the kingdom. You do this placing your won cubes on any space within a specific district to attempt majority control of it. At the end of the game, the players with majority control of each district will receive Support for the districts that correspond with what is printed on the board. These are VERY important as you can amass tons of Support from district majorities. The game continues in this fashion for a number of rounds until all influence spaces on the main kingdom board are full. Players then check for majority in each district and apply Support on the VP track. The player with the most Support at the end of the game is the winner! (It will be Kristin.)
Components. This is a heavy game, not in complexity, but in component weight. The boards are all of great quality, the cardboard tokens are nice, the wooden cubes are typical quality. The art on the game is good, if dated, but good. I have no complaints about the components.
As you can see from our scores at the top, we REALLY like this game. As one of the highest ranking games on BGG from Steve Jackson Games, this one delivers a great time of double thinking, bluffing your neighbors, and certainly rewards players for their great strategy. We used to play this game ALL THE TIME until it became futile playing against my wife. She is that good. At one point I thought I had her strategy figured out, but I have since lost it. However, I am always eager to play this and try again. One of these days I will claim victory. Revolution! could definitely stand an update, or re-theme, or something along with a reprint to bring it into more homes, but I am glad I have a copy (with all the expansions *shoulder brush*) and it will not be leaving my collection any time soon. That’s a mark of a great game, and that’s partly why Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a close-to-a-Golden-Feather-Award-recipient 23 / 24. If you see one in the wild, pick it up!
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Night Window: A Jane Hawk Novel in Books
Jun 25, 2019
5th and final novel of the Jane Hawk series
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
4.51 · 2,534 ratings ·
The Night Window by Dean Koontz is the 5th and final Jane Hawk novel in the series. I have read many books by Koontz and am a fan of his Odd Thomas series. Somehow, I missed reading his Jane Hawk series.
I was provided with a copy of the 5th novel and, to give a fair review, needed to read the earlier books in the series. I am so glad that I did. I could not put them down! It would help, but you do not need to read the other books. However, you would be missing out on an excellent and chilling series. Koontz gives you enough information, so you have a general outline of the events leading up to The Night Window.
In the Silent Corner, the first novel, Jane begins a campaign to reveal the truth about her husband's suicide. Early on, we learn a number of government officials and other influential individuals with the help of nanotechnology and an army of mind-altered citizens are responsible. It is the possibility of this "revolution" occurring that makes the story so disturbing. Often you find supernatural creepiness in Koontz's books, but I found this series to be the scariest.
This review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 6/24/19.
4.51 · 2,534 ratings ·
The Night Window by Dean Koontz is the 5th and final Jane Hawk novel in the series. I have read many books by Koontz and am a fan of his Odd Thomas series. Somehow, I missed reading his Jane Hawk series.
I was provided with a copy of the 5th novel and, to give a fair review, needed to read the earlier books in the series. I am so glad that I did. I could not put them down! It would help, but you do not need to read the other books. However, you would be missing out on an excellent and chilling series. Koontz gives you enough information, so you have a general outline of the events leading up to The Night Window.
In the Silent Corner, the first novel, Jane begins a campaign to reveal the truth about her husband's suicide. Early on, we learn a number of government officials and other influential individuals with the help of nanotechnology and an army of mind-altered citizens are responsible. It is the possibility of this "revolution" occurring that makes the story so disturbing. Often you find supernatural creepiness in Koontz's books, but I found this series to be the scariest.
This review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 6/24/19.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Torn ( Selfish Myths book 2) in Books
Sep 14, 2022
164 of 230
Kindle
Torn ( Selfish Myths book 2)
By Natalia Jaster
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
Breaking her heart is the key to my power—or my downfall.
For centuries, I've reigned as the God of Anger. Now I’m an exiled rebel. Banished from my immortal world and jilted by the love I can't forget, I prowl the human realm with a shattered soul.
That’s when I meet her.
For the life of me, I can't understand why I’m so drawn to this starry-eyed misfit called Merry. She's an outcast like me, but she’s different from anyone I’ve ever known.
And she's hiding just as many forbidden secrets as I am.
As a revolution simmers between celestial renegades and ancient rulers, I discover that Merry’s the key to my retribution. According to a dangerous legend, she alone can help me resurrect my power, reclaim my place among the magical elite—and mend my broken heart.
The price: I have to break hers in return.
This is such a unique series. I don’t think ive read anything like it before. This is following Angers story after Love becomes mortal and it’s just written in a way that’s magical reading it. I really love how these myths/gods/goddesses we know as emotions love a life of their own. The only thing that stopped it being 5 stars was in places it was possibly a bit long winded ( but only a bit).
Kindle
Torn ( Selfish Myths book 2)
By Natalia Jaster
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
Breaking her heart is the key to my power—or my downfall.
For centuries, I've reigned as the God of Anger. Now I’m an exiled rebel. Banished from my immortal world and jilted by the love I can't forget, I prowl the human realm with a shattered soul.
That’s when I meet her.
For the life of me, I can't understand why I’m so drawn to this starry-eyed misfit called Merry. She's an outcast like me, but she’s different from anyone I’ve ever known.
And she's hiding just as many forbidden secrets as I am.
As a revolution simmers between celestial renegades and ancient rulers, I discover that Merry’s the key to my retribution. According to a dangerous legend, she alone can help me resurrect my power, reclaim my place among the magical elite—and mend my broken heart.
The price: I have to break hers in return.
This is such a unique series. I don’t think ive read anything like it before. This is following Angers story after Love becomes mortal and it’s just written in a way that’s magical reading it. I really love how these myths/gods/goddesses we know as emotions love a life of their own. The only thing that stopped it being 5 stars was in places it was possibly a bit long winded ( but only a bit).
Merissa (11805 KP) rated Hers, United (Hers, #5) in Books
Sep 16, 2022
Sometimes work can be fun and H.O.T!
HERS, UNITED is the fifth book in this series and can be read as a standalone, although there is an overall story arc that develops through this novel.
Riley is a Selenian psychologist, one who has been on the dull end of jobs ever since it came out she was an alien sympathiser before the revolution. This leads to her being called to work when everyone else is indulging in 'fun.' What she finds is Talon and Dagger, angry with each other, and she is determined to get to the bottom of it.
Riley, Talon, and Dagger are H.O.T. together when they're having fun, but when Dagger is kidnapped by Traditionalists, they have to learn to work together too. This also leads to some deep thinking about just what they mean to each other. It was brilliant seeing Kaitlyn and Roth again, and I'm happy with how they were able to help Riley.
I thought the pacing of this book was perfect, and the story arc just helped move their personal stories along. This is a series that I am thoroughly enjoying and I can't wait to see what happens next. Highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Riley is a Selenian psychologist, one who has been on the dull end of jobs ever since it came out she was an alien sympathiser before the revolution. This leads to her being called to work when everyone else is indulging in 'fun.' What she finds is Talon and Dagger, angry with each other, and she is determined to get to the bottom of it.
Riley, Talon, and Dagger are H.O.T. together when they're having fun, but when Dagger is kidnapped by Traditionalists, they have to learn to work together too. This also leads to some deep thinking about just what they mean to each other. It was brilliant seeing Kaitlyn and Roth again, and I'm happy with how they were able to help Riley.
I thought the pacing of this book was perfect, and the story arc just helped move their personal stories along. This is a series that I am thoroughly enjoying and I can't wait to see what happens next. Highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated A Short History of the World in Books
Aug 5, 2018
Best known for his classic fiction, HG Wells also wrote a non-fiction book summarising the history of the world, going from the history of the solar system, right up to the date the book was published in 1922.
As I hoped, the book often reads like a novel, with 67 distinct sections, each like a mini story. In order to fit the history of the whole world into one book, by nature the story telling ranges from nice and rapid, to a little too rapid. I found it rather like a catalogue of numerous interesting little nuggets of information. Despite covering events from all over the world, the topics often flow seamlessly from one topic to the next. Due to so many overlapping topics, this history of the world isn't told in a linear purely chronological pattern, but has to go backwards a little, now and again.
At various times throughout, the stories are gripping and Wells successfully brings history to life. I particularly liked the various sections on religious leaders. Appropriately, Wells tackles religion as would any unbiased historian-become storyteller. I also enjoyed the beginning, where Wells paints a crystal clear picture of our solar system and the vast empty space that our dramas are within. His description of our galaxy sounds nothing short of beautiful.
The book was meant to be predominantly factual, but Wells did include a substantial amount of speculation and opinion. This does not distract from the storyline, but adds value in generating the concepts of the time periods.
It covers progress and prosperity as much as carnage and decimation, and provides good explanations of everything it covers. (Although it would benefit from more illustrations). At times it feels detail heavy but also gives the reader a feel for each age - the book is not limited to which country went to war with which country and when, but also examines changes in ways of thinking through the ages. Including the Ancient Greek philosophers, Arabian progress in maths and science, the advent of experimental science, and the development of political and social ideas in Wells’ time.
I was reassured to learn that despite not studying the history of the world in its entirety in school, I was already familiar with much of the book’s content. Having said that, there were also topics where I really felt I was learning something. I read Wells’ opinion on why the Roman Empire fell, and how the industrial revolution was not merely a revolution in machinery, but rather a revolution in how people conducted their everyday lives. There were also some important figures from history described that were never mentioned in my school days, particularly Charlemagne and Roger Bacon.
Towards the end of the book, Wells correctly predicts another war like that of the Great War. However his final message was one of faith and hope in humanity’s progress.
With such a huge scope, Wells must have struggled with deciding what topics to include and what to exclude. I thought he ought to have included a touch more detail on Ancient Egypt, and on the causes of the Great War (World War 1). As a British person myself I would have liked to have seen more on British history.
Likewise, if the book were written now rather than 1922 I began to speculate on what he would and wouldn’t have included. I imagine there would certainly be a section on World War 2, rockets into space, the internet, and 9/11. He would have provided an excellently conducted section on how humans are destroying the planet.
One of the beauties of this book has to be its availability. If you type “short history of the world” into Google, the free PDF of this book takes up much of the first 2 pages of results. If you’re sketchy on world history, this book will fill in the main blanks, and is worth a read if this is your aim, especially if you wish to do so quickly. The fact that it’s split up into so many succinct sections also means that you can pick up and put down the book as often as opportunity allows. It also works well as a reference book, as it does not need to be read from cover to cover in order to look up one particular event or time period.
In summary, this book would be a welcome addition to bookshelf (or ebook library) of the general non-fiction fan or historian.
Find more of my book review on www.bookblogbycari.com
As I hoped, the book often reads like a novel, with 67 distinct sections, each like a mini story. In order to fit the history of the whole world into one book, by nature the story telling ranges from nice and rapid, to a little too rapid. I found it rather like a catalogue of numerous interesting little nuggets of information. Despite covering events from all over the world, the topics often flow seamlessly from one topic to the next. Due to so many overlapping topics, this history of the world isn't told in a linear purely chronological pattern, but has to go backwards a little, now and again.
At various times throughout, the stories are gripping and Wells successfully brings history to life. I particularly liked the various sections on religious leaders. Appropriately, Wells tackles religion as would any unbiased historian-become storyteller. I also enjoyed the beginning, where Wells paints a crystal clear picture of our solar system and the vast empty space that our dramas are within. His description of our galaxy sounds nothing short of beautiful.
The book was meant to be predominantly factual, but Wells did include a substantial amount of speculation and opinion. This does not distract from the storyline, but adds value in generating the concepts of the time periods.
It covers progress and prosperity as much as carnage and decimation, and provides good explanations of everything it covers. (Although it would benefit from more illustrations). At times it feels detail heavy but also gives the reader a feel for each age - the book is not limited to which country went to war with which country and when, but also examines changes in ways of thinking through the ages. Including the Ancient Greek philosophers, Arabian progress in maths and science, the advent of experimental science, and the development of political and social ideas in Wells’ time.
I was reassured to learn that despite not studying the history of the world in its entirety in school, I was already familiar with much of the book’s content. Having said that, there were also topics where I really felt I was learning something. I read Wells’ opinion on why the Roman Empire fell, and how the industrial revolution was not merely a revolution in machinery, but rather a revolution in how people conducted their everyday lives. There were also some important figures from history described that were never mentioned in my school days, particularly Charlemagne and Roger Bacon.
Towards the end of the book, Wells correctly predicts another war like that of the Great War. However his final message was one of faith and hope in humanity’s progress.
With such a huge scope, Wells must have struggled with deciding what topics to include and what to exclude. I thought he ought to have included a touch more detail on Ancient Egypt, and on the causes of the Great War (World War 1). As a British person myself I would have liked to have seen more on British history.
Likewise, if the book were written now rather than 1922 I began to speculate on what he would and wouldn’t have included. I imagine there would certainly be a section on World War 2, rockets into space, the internet, and 9/11. He would have provided an excellently conducted section on how humans are destroying the planet.
One of the beauties of this book has to be its availability. If you type “short history of the world” into Google, the free PDF of this book takes up much of the first 2 pages of results. If you’re sketchy on world history, this book will fill in the main blanks, and is worth a read if this is your aim, especially if you wish to do so quickly. The fact that it’s split up into so many succinct sections also means that you can pick up and put down the book as often as opportunity allows. It also works well as a reference book, as it does not need to be read from cover to cover in order to look up one particular event or time period.
In summary, this book would be a welcome addition to bookshelf (or ebook library) of the general non-fiction fan or historian.
Find more of my book review on www.bookblogbycari.com