Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous the first time, just gets better with subsequent re
Review: I have just finished this book for the third time. The first time I read it for pure pleasure (pleasure?? a history text?? Please!). Really, van Doren's mastery of his subjects is such that history really does come alive and everything begins to link together is a very understandable way. The second time I read the book was as a reference to a history course I was taking. The third time I read it was aloud to an elderly scholar friend who is going blind. On this occasion we taped it as I read, and he has listened to it several times since. I cannot tell you how much pleasure this book has brought into my friend's life, or mine. I have given copies of it to many friends and consider it to be the best $20 I have spent in a long while. Thank you Mr. Van Doren.
Rating:
Summary: "I'll take Ancient Egypt for $400, Alex."
Review: I graduate from college and finally realized I knew nuthin' bout nuthin'. To remedy this condition I set out upon a learning quest to fill in the numerous gaps that a "liberal arts" education left behind. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of books later, I still return to Van Doren (and Boorstin for what it's worth). Here's why:1. Van Doren is unintentionally pompous in such a way that we can actually follow along with his incredible intellect. You can't beat the ego factor in this. 2. If you want dates, times and other minutae, it's in there. If you want a good taste (albeit slightly biased) of "real history", there's plenty of this too. A blend achieved by few others. 3. It's a pleasurable read. No...really. While some of the topics may not be right up your alley, the speed and style of writing make these areas not only accessible, but completely bearable. I have nothing but praise for this work. Read it once and you will feel enriched. Read it again and you just might be ready for the Jeopardy tryouts!
Rating: 
Summary: Good introductory text.
Review: The book is a good introductory text on general subjects; in addition it ties major themes well. However, the author's opinions and digressions are prosaic at best. If one is looking for a quick fix to an inadequate history education, this book is for you. However, if one is familiar with the themes of book, then try books form authors who provide more depth such as McCloskey, Posner, Fernandez-Arnesto, Kaufman, Kuhn, and Booom.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding summary of how humans have viewed the world.
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Explains the ideas behind history well
Review: This book gave me a great summary of history that could be absorbed in a short amount of time. Many attempts to summarize human history have been way too long to have the impact of this book. The authors theory that ideas/knowledge shape history is a admirable way to explain human historical events. The authors projection for the future did not seem to follow the same line as the rest of the book. But discussion of the future was not a major component of the book. Thanks to this book I am now able to have a nice mental view of history that has helped me in understanding the works of other thinkers.
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Summary: An ideal primer for philosophy & history
Review: I wish I had read this book years ago. I have bought a copy for each of my children. Naturally some areas have been emphasised at the expense of others, but the scope of the work requires some selection. The author's choices are germane and fascinating. I couldn't put the book down until I had finished. Hopefully it will spur further reading, though unfortunately it will be hard to find these subjects covered in such a readable fashion.
Rating: 
Summary: not a history of knowledge--more a synopsis of history
Review: Fine bedtime reading--highly soporific! This book has a huge Western Civilization/Chrisitianity bias, as though anyone reading it would only be interested in other cultures to the extent that they influenced the dominant culture. The shallowness of his remarks in areas that I know a great deal about lead me to distrust his remarks in areas that I am less familiar with. After a while, I found that what I really wanted to do was re-read Boorstin's Discoverers, which is far more interesting and satisfying.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding.
Review: I wish I had read this book when I was in high school or college; nevertheless, I greatly enjoyed it at age 38. The author does an exceptionally good job of summarizing the important ideas and movements in western history and showing the big picture. I'm going to buy a copy of the book so that my sons will have it available when they reach the appropriate age.
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Summary: It changed the way I look at people, science, God ... life
Review: When I chose this book to read, I was looking for a quick summarization of the broadest scope of history. This book was that and a lot more. The author's focus was not on the facts and figures of who, what and when. The book provided a higher level view of why and even "so-what". Most of which probably could not be answered by history's original participants. It was interesting to see why certain things transpired and the results and impact of seemingly insignificant (at the time) events. For instance, the beginnings of America could largely be attributed to rodents. Millions of people died from the Black Plague spread by rats, supplying the survivors a wealth of possessions -- including, among other things, meat. The search for cheaper ways to acquire spices to help preserve the meat resulted in the "discovery" of a new world. Although some of the facts presented may be debatable, you will at least develop a need to learn more. Criticized for its simplicity, this simplistic view of history is precisely the value you will find from the book. As a species, our endeavors are not that complicated and often driven by the most basic of needs and desires. The author provides insight into how knowledge, or lack thereof, shaped mankind's history and thus offers a certain liberation from it. Or, to quote a line from the movie "Men In Black", "Fifteen hundred years ago, we knew the sun and stars revolved around the earth. Five hundred years ago we knew the earth was flat.... Imagine what we'll learn tomorrow." As a Christian, this concept has only reinforced for me the existence of a higher being and a higher standard, although we do not always have the knowledge to support it.
Rating:
Summary: Good book
Review: Great book for three reasons: 1. It's a pleasant read 2) It's a lot to learn in very few pages 3) (most importantly) It'll most likely result in more reading on your part. Just to be fair, there are some weeknesses too: the book is somewhat superficial (which is to be expected from a book covering that much in so few pages), and the very end exhibits what may be called academically liberal bias (which isn't a precise anything, but you'll know it when you see it) of the author. That having been said, it's still a great read and is certainly worth the time.
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