The Lessons of History
Will Durant
Discover the towering themes of history with this accessible compendium of philosophy and social progress. The Lessons of History is a concise survey of culture and civilization, taking readers on a journey through the possibilities and limitations of humanity over time. Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Will and Ariel Durant juxtapose great lives, ideas, and accomplishments with cycles of war and conquest, revealing the essence of our own existence.
Publish Date
1997-01-01T00:00:00.000Z
1997-01-01T00:00:00.000Z
first published in 1968
Goodreads Rating
4.07
ISBN
8601420220881
Recommendations
11
Recommendations
This is a great book I really liked which summarizes some of the larger themes of history, very incisive. And unlike most history books, it's actually really small, and it covers a lot of ground. – source
2018-04-25T00:00:00.000Z
They wrote the massive 11-volume 10,000-page “Story of Civilization” covering Western history, then wrote this tiny 100-page book succinctly summing up its lessons for our present day. – source2022-11-29T23:49:32.000Z
This audiobook is incredible
The book itself is an all-timer, but the audiobook includes old interviews with the Durants at the end of each chapter.
The interviews are seemingly longer than the book, and the Durants are among the best historians ever. Hearing them is wild. – source2022-08-23T15:11:08.000Z
Summer Reading Book #20 is THE LESSONS OF HISTORY by Will & Ariel Durant “With their accessible compendium of philosophy and social progress, the Durants take us on a journey through history, exploring the possibilities and limitations of humanity over time.” – source2020-09-07T06:27:33.000Z
This book is a must read 👇. Imagine going through entire world history and the lessons from it, all in a couple of hours! – source2020-09-06T20:43:14.000Z
Is this the highest wisdom-per-word book ever?
If it's not, what is? – source2017-03-28T00:00:00.000Z
In some way you look back on Will and Arial Durant’s The Lessons of History or Ron Chernow’s book on Alexander Hamilton, and you realize, man, you can get an awful lot out of people who have been through this sort of thing and studied the ones who did it before. – source