Back from my Border's excursion.
If you’re interested broadly, in the history and scope of the human experience in the sciences, philosophy, religion, I have two words: Daniel Boorstin.
You probably have heard of him. Maybe even read him. A prolific, and noted American historian.
He has this trilogy of books, “The Discoverers”, “The Seekers”, and “The Creators”. Simply amazing. They are complimentary, in the sense that one book looks at the human experience with discovery and understanding the natural world (The Discoverers), the others deal with the experience of human knowledge and thought in philosophy and religion.
The Discoverers is probably the best book you’ll ever read, on the topic of the history of science and knowledge. This Boorstin guy has an amazing talent: It doesn’t read like a dry, historical accounting of events, people, and places. Its like sitting down with a good friend, and having him tell you in an exceptional, compelling, and interesting way, a good story.
From the Viking exploration of the new world, to humankinds development of the concept of time and navigation, to the relatively unknown (in the West) and amazing accomplishments and advances of the Arabs and Chinese in astronomy, exploration, and navigation….this book will blow your mind. I think I’ve read it like three times. Amazing.
On that note, I just got back from Border’s with his second book in the trilogy: “The Seekers”. Which is a historical narrative about the human experience, this time from a philosophical perspective. The search for an understanding of human existence, as it were. The reason of Descartes, the empiricism of Locke, the individual experience of Kierkegaard. Jefferson, Marx, the Greek and Hebrew philosophers – spanning the broad expanse of human history. I expect my mind to be blown again.
If you’re interested broadly, in the history and scope of the human experience in the sciences, philosophy, religion, I have two words: Daniel Boorstin.
You probably have heard of him. Maybe even read him. A prolific, and noted American historian.
He has this trilogy of books, “The Discoverers”, “The Seekers”, and “The Creators”. Simply amazing. They are complimentary, in the sense that one book looks at the human experience with discovery and understanding the natural world (The Discoverers), the others deal with the experience of human knowledge and thought in philosophy and religion.
The Discoverers is probably the best book you’ll ever read, on the topic of the history of science and knowledge. This Boorstin guy has an amazing talent: It doesn’t read like a dry, historical accounting of events, people, and places. Its like sitting down with a good friend, and having him tell you in an exceptional, compelling, and interesting way, a good story.
From the Viking exploration of the new world, to humankinds development of the concept of time and navigation, to the relatively unknown (in the West) and amazing accomplishments and advances of the Arabs and Chinese in astronomy, exploration, and navigation….this book will blow your mind. I think I’ve read it like three times. Amazing.
On that note, I just got back from Border’s with his second book in the trilogy: “The Seekers”. Which is a historical narrative about the human experience, this time from a philosophical perspective. The search for an understanding of human existence, as it were. The reason of Descartes, the empiricism of Locke, the individual experience of Kierkegaard. Jefferson, Marx, the Greek and Hebrew philosophers – spanning the broad expanse of human history. I expect my mind to be blown again.
