I will not buy anything from this seller again
This book is not as described. I got an old edition with a seal from public library, so I think it is stolen from that library.
I regreted to deal with this seller.
Useful, Not Authoritative
Van Doren does a pretty good job of tracing the history of knowledge, putting the major events in our intellectual evolution in some kind of useful perspective. Not being an expert, I'll accept the criticism of many other reviewers here that the book contains errors and is even sophomoric in some chapters. But on the other hand, I learned a lot about things I had little familiarity with, and I was able to trace, in some rudimentary fashion, how one thing led to another to another to another... Of course, since the book was written in 1991, Van Doren's attempts of predicting the future, near and long-term, are necessarily naive. When he wrote it, the Internet was not in full bloom, 9/11 hadn't happened, the Green revolution had not really caught fire. As the author proceeds through history, his personal opinions creep further and further into the text. Finally, when he reaches the 20th Century, his often hysterical and naive views come into full flower which takes away from the book. All in all, if you're a scholar, you'll probably find the book wanting. But if you are a layman, looking for a book that coherently describes the evolution of knowldge in a simple format, you've come to the right place.
Good Summary of Civilization
If you enjoy learning and don't remember / never knew much of the basis for human thought and other historical information, you should enjoy this book.
It begins with very early man and ends with a stretched imagination about the possibilities for the future. Each subject (from philosophy to digital computations) is well covered for novices. The author does a great job of focusing on philosophy and how it's shaped civilization.
Another interesting, well-done explanation involves digital technology and how it compares to analog.
From science to religion to politics, the author carefully explains and does well at refraining from biased thought at most turns.
This is a book I have already referred and will do so again.
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