The Uses of the Past: Profiles of Former Societies

A sweeping inquiry into the lessons of history, focusing on Rome & Greece, Christianity & Judaism, the Byzantine empire, the Middle Ages, and Russia & China. Several readings are required to digest all the information. Why is this fine book still out of print?

"Uses of the Past" is dense. I had to read it twice to understand what was going on, then a third time for appreciation. Muller is an interesting combination of Historian, Philosopher and Mensch. Although a very small amount of his perceptions are dated (1955), the vast majority of his work is remarkably relavant to 2003. The great puzzle of Human Civilization is not solved in this work, but in his own way, Muller, through odd details and well-developed discriptions of ancient cultures and their human impact, ends up as a pessimistic optimist. I've read lots of history (and just enough philosophy to not go crazy) and I think this is a great take on a difficult subject. I'm trying to buy a hardcover edition. If you're going to read two books in a row to get yourself thinking about the future of the human race, I recommend "Living Within Limits" (Garrett Hardin, 1995), and "Uses of The Past". In that order, they'll definitely get your internal debate going.