A History of Knowledge: Past, Present, and Future

Charles Van Doren undertook an ambitious project in this book, which according to its cover blurb purports to be 'a compendium of everything that humankind has thought, invented, created, considered, and perfected from the beginning of civilisation into the twenty-first century.'There are, alas, a few things missing, as this book only has a bit over 400 pages. But that does not really detract from the thesis of the book; it is certainly a worthy outline of human history, particularly approached through the lens of intellectual achievement and the advance of knowledge. Van Doren, as you may recall, is the Van Doren who got caught up in the quiz show scandals of the 1950s. Ironic that this fate should befall him, as his learning would obviously put to shame the current crop of would-be millionaires so popular on the television today. But, I digress.Van Doren spent the two decades before writing this book as an editor for Encyclopedia Britannica. He has put together a worthy outline to knowledge, broad in scope and with just enough detail to satisfy the hunger and whet the appetite simultaneously.`The voluminous literature dealing with the idea of human progress is decidedly a mixed bag. While some of these writings are impressive and even inspiring, many of them are superficial, perhaps even ridiculous, in their reiteration (especially during the nineteenth century) of the comforting prospect that every day in every way we are growing better and better.'Van Doren does believe in progress, but not in inevitable progress. He distinguishes between general knowledge and knowledge of particulars, and explores the inter-relationship of knowledge and happiness:`The desire to know, when you realise you do not know, is universal and probably irresistible. It was the original temptation of mankind, and no man or woman, and especially no child, can overcome it for long. But it is a desire, as Shakespeare said, that grows by what it feeds on. It is impossible to slake the thirst for knowledge. And the more intelligent you are, the more this is so.'Van Doren explores the advance of knowledge by time periods, then divided into general discussions with a specific centre. I give as an example the outline of topics in the chapter entitled An Age of RevolutionsAn Age of Revolutions- The Industrial Revolution- Human Machines and Mechanical Humans- An Age of Reason and Revolution- John Locke and the Revolution of 1688- Property, Government, and Revolution- Two Kinds of Revolution- Thomas Jefferson and the Revolution of 1776- The Declaration of Independence- Property in Rights- Robespierre, Napoleon, and the Revolution of 1789- The Rise of Equality- Mozart's Don Giovanni- Goethe's FaustVan Doren's own agenda and prejudice show through (a desire for the curbing of the rights of nation-states in favour of a one-world government, for instance -- without much detail about how that government would be constituted; after all, he is a realist who recognises that there's no po

It must take a tremendous ego for an author to give a book such a universal title. The surprising thing is that Charles Van Doren's work comes so very close to being completely worthy of its moniker!Obviously this is not "A COMPLETE History of Knowledge: Past, Present, and Future." Not even Mr. Van Doren could pull that off. Much of the knowledge of Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Micronesia, and the indigenous peoples of Australia and the Western Hemisphere is simply glossed over. The book clearly has a pro-Western, Euro-centric preference. Even an author as obviously brilliant as Mr. Van Doren can only do so much in a mere 412 pages.Nevertheless, the text is engaging, thoughtful, stimulating, enthusiastic, concise, and very well written. For those already blessed with a traditional, liberal arts, undergraduate education the text will serve as a valued reminder of many of the great concepts to which they were exposed in college. For those without such an education, the text will serve as an even more valuable compendium of Western thought.Well done, Mr. Van Doren! Thank you!

At last a concise and brilliantly connected history of thought. Beginning with the "knowledge of the ancients" (which, to my pleasure, included information from ancient India, China and the Americas as well as from Egypt and the Middle East), Van Doren covers all the great theories and discoveries of the human race. Although I read it cover to cover, it would be just as useful (and enjoyable) to dig in and read it piecemeal.The contributions of Einstein, Newton and Galileo are here, as are the ideas of Buddha, Martin Luther and Boethius. This is more than just a cataloguing of ideas and discoveries, though. Portraits of these individuals are made, and their contributions are placed in historical context. What is most remarkable, however is that van Doren has managed to squeeze all this information into a mere 412 pages.The only shortcoming of the book is perhaps is length - but Van Doren sets out only to summarize, highlight and explain. With this in mind, he does an admirable job. The book is simply fascinating, and I highly recommend it.

This book provides a very broad description of the events in our history that have influenced our understanding of the world -- from the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans through the middle ages, on to modern times and further on to a potential future. I most enjoyed how it dealt with the key concepts of each age in a quick, easy-to-read style. There's not a lot of detail, but very broad scope. It also organizes our history very well so the reader gets a strong sense of the chronological order of discoveries and thought. It will point the interested reader in directions for further reading.

Charles Van Doren does a fine job of providing an enlightening overview to history and sociology. I've enjoyed the book twice now, given it as gifts, and recommended it to many friends and aquaintenances. I found his insight and perspective on historical characters and discoveries to be most valuable. Being a technical person, I find Van Doren helps me understand the the evolution of history...he combines events, individuals, and discoveries into (what appear to be obvious) relationships. Many times throughout the book, I would think to myself: "Now I understand!" The book comes with a delightful bonus; it provides the reader with a refreshed interest in historical events and personalities. This makes for engaging conversations... topics from Henry XIII to Marco Polo. How about: the history and significance of "zero", or the demise of the Aztecs? Further, Van Doren provides insight into the similarities and origins of different religions. It's a great book you can pick up and put down, read a little, skim a section... fun to have around even as reference.