The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time

Some will obviously quibble over Will Durant's selections, but I will not. I got hooked on Durant after reading his 1916 doctoral disseration (a full thirty years after I acquired the multi-volume History of Civilization), and have been working my way through various "short books" in the past six months. Here are my fly-leaf notes. Slams H. G. Wells early on. Durant seems to be the anti-thesis to Marx. He opens by pointing out that the greatest minds of history were those of philosphy and science, not captains of war, priests, or artists. As is my tendency, I praise the book by summarizing it. Below are his lists. Ten greatest thinkers: 01 Confucius as a moral philosopher 02 Plato for first university, philosophy as means of remolding world 03 Aristotle as philosopher and scientists, creating new science 04 St. Thomas Aquinas for bridging between knowledge and belief 05 Copernicus (Poland) for astronomy and mathematics, shifting attention from man to the cosmos 06 Sir Francis Bacon, for knowledge as remodeling power, opened eyes to nature (see my review of Intelligence in Nature, forthcoming). 07 Sir Isaac Newton, for scientific mastery of modern thought 08 Voltaire for ending despotism and starting the enlightenment, but see my review of Voltaire's Bastards: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West 09 Immanuel Kant for mind over materialism, restored faith to co-equal status with science 10 Charles Darwin for state of nature, life as conflict, natural selection Ten greatest poets: 01 Homer 02 "David" 03 Garupedes 04 Lucretius 05 Li Po 06 Dante 07 Shakespeare 08 Keats 09 Shelly 10 Whitman Ten "Peaks" for Humanity 01 Speech 02 Fire 03 Conquest of Animals 04 Agriculture 05 Social Organization 06 Morality [see my review of The Lessons of History) 07 Tools 08 Science 09 Education 10 Writing & Print I have a note to myself in which I iclude the Internet in #10, and see #11 as being "True Cost" accounting, see my reviews of, among others: Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming Ecological Economics: Principles And Applications The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism Twelve Major Dates in Human History 01 4241 BC Egyptian Calendar 02 543 BC Death of Buddha 03 478 BC Death of Confucius 04 199 BC Death of Socrates 05 44 BC Death of Caesar 06 BC-AD Birth of Christ 07 AD 632 Death of Mohammed 08 AD 1294 Death of Roger Bacon, birth of gunpowder 09 AD 1455 Gutenberg Press 10 AD 1492 Columbus discovers America (see 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus 11 AD 1769 James Watt and the Steam Engine 12 AD 1789 French Revolution One can only speculate at what he might have picked in the past century or two, that alone would make a marvelous semester-long course. The book has a lovely index of all names, both those considered and those considered but not selected. I consider this a classic gift item, along with Ralph Nader's The Seventeen Traditions and Durant's Le

I confess to be a huge fan of Will and Ariel Durant's work and confess to being fastinated with "lists." That being said, it is obvious that I liked this work. It is short and pretty much to the point. The author clearly states that these are his selections and states "I let the reader, then, to make his own lists, helping himself to what he likes in mine. Let him try to build for himself another perspective and unity that shall clarify human development for him." I note that much of the negative comments, here in these reviews, centered on the fact that the particular reviewer did not agree with all of Dr. Durant's choices. These reviewers need to read the last paragraph in the book. Anyway, I, like most, did not agree with all the choices, but I suspect that if you picked 1,000 individuals and invited them to create their own list of the categories Durant chose, we would have before us 1,000 different lists. Durant's writing is as always, wonderful, has a almost musical quality and is quite spellbinding. This is the type of work which should lead the reader to continue exploring history, art, poetry and philosophy on his or her own. It is a work that should stimulate further reading and study. As one reviewer pointed out, they were disappointed that the author did not delve deeper into his subjects and subject matter. Hey folks, this is a short work of short essays. If you want more delving, then do like the rest of us....go to the library or book store and go for it! I highly recommend this one!

It's said that good things come in small packages. Sometimes great things do, too. This book may be only 118 pages long, but between these covers you will find reasoned and inspired discussion of some of the people and works who have truly ennobled mankind. Will Durant, in partnership with his wife Ariel, spent his lifetime celebrating our highest and best achievements as a people. His essays on the greatest thinkers, greatest poets, best books, peaks of human progress and vital dates in world history should not only serve as a compact education, it should also fill you with a sense that for all of humanity's folly and waste, we have actually accomplished much that is worthwhile these past few thousand years. It's also very likely this book will spark within you a desire to know and to learn more about our rich heritage. My only wish for this book is that compiler John Little had included the dates these works were originally written. The chapter on the best books for an education, for example, while including many timeless classics, also includes some volumes which have been surpassed by later works--including the Durant's own magisterial lifework, the "Story of Civilization." But this a minor quibble over what is on the whole an exceptional work.--William C. Hall

In these modern times of cynicism, worn as a garb of superiority, it has become intellectually fashionable, a pose of small minds, to negate greatness, revealing that our heroes are not heroes at all, but mere historical constructs with feet of clay. Unfortunately, this is a pathological symptom of democracy, where mediocrity must be exalted at all costs, to maintain the notion of equality. Men and women must be viewed as equal under the eyes of the law and society, for this is justice. But we are not equal in health, wealth, intelligence and talent. What Will Durant has shown us unashamedly is "...that at the beginning and summit of every age some heroic genius stands, the voice and index of his time...the guide and pioneer into the future." (10)This necessary little book presents six essays on the greatest thoughts, minds and books of all time. The reader may disagree occasiionally with his choices, though Durant compellingly argues his choices from his informed view as a recognized historian, philosopher and teacher.The text is a snap shot of history; an opportunity to see the past and its great historical figures through the eyes of a man who made it his life mission to celebrate what it means to be human. Durant's humanism and enthusiasm is highly infectious - one comes away from his texts with a renewed hope that civilization was once great and can be great again. We have been submerged into the pessimistic, fragmented and distilled perspectives of Modernism far too long. Durant's optimism slices like Excaliber through our fashionable cynicism about the world; he is the intellectual white knight, celebrating the miracle of existence and the endless potential of humanity.At the moment the world is filled with uncertainty and pessimism, therefore this text is highly recommended, for it might cast a glimmer of hope, and a renewed optimism about the world, the future and us.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to more fully develop themselves through self-education. The book is not too heavy-handed with the various subject matter, nor is it written in the stale, esoteric language of an academic. It is a series of papers written by a man of the people for the people, and the passion that Durant has for the material (and the love of knowledge) shines through. This book is a wonderful and concise lesson in history, arts, and sciences, and will help start any one's pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.