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wooknight's review against another edition
5.0
A phenomenal tour de force !!! An exquisite Odyssey of Western civilization as it bounces between Aristotle and Plato at successive turns . And boy!!! does he know those two as well as several other stalwarts of early Christianity. The book is astonishing in its scope and succeeded beyond words in shining a bright well lit path for its readers. The author goes to great lengths to pull in every thread that binds humanity and connect it with Aristotle of Plato . The book was beyond what I had hoped and expected for .
However there were quite a few things that he likes to gloss over , makes the bold claim that the Islamic civilizations are not progressing because they turned their backs on Plato too early and pure adherence to Aristotle has left the culture too dry and unable to grow . Talk about over simplification!!!
There are quite a few errors too but all in all a wonderful read and I do recommend it for every student of history. I say this in spite of his very obvious right leaning thinking; he has done an extraordinary job and one which certainly got my complete respect and deserves one from every reader.
However there were quite a few things that he likes to gloss over , makes the bold claim that the Islamic civilizations are not progressing because they turned their backs on Plato too early and pure adherence to Aristotle has left the culture too dry and unable to grow . Talk about over simplification!!!
There are quite a few errors too but all in all a wonderful read and I do recommend it for every student of history. I say this in spite of his very obvious right leaning thinking; he has done an extraordinary job and one which certainly got my complete respect and deserves one from every reader.
kimball_hansen's review against another edition
3.0
This book was an easy read but super comprehensive, like eating back to back to back Thanksgiving feasts for several months. If you're not familiar with many philosophers or ancient history and those related concepts, like me, then you will not understand some of it.
I need to research the water screw.
I think I'm a mix of Platonism and Aristotelianism or whatever they're called.
Notes:
They knew about Atoms back in those ancient days
If something can't be measured then it probably doesn't exist.
One of the reasons for the success of the spread of Christianity was the laying hold of Greek thought mainly from Plato.
Religion means to tie or to bond meaning to tie or bond oneself with God or man to man.
The fewer a society becomes the more prosperous and arrogant it also becomes. It sows the seeds of its own servitude. It basic paradox is when it comes to liberty nothing fails like success. Human nature makes liberty and self-government very unstable.
If you wish to recognize God you must first know yourself. - Plato or Ficino, it credited both.
Man is born free and also in chains because of the invention of property.
Aristotle believed in a form of evolution or Darwinism.
I need to research the water screw.
I think I'm a mix of Platonism and Aristotelianism or whatever they're called.
Notes:
They knew about Atoms back in those ancient days
If something can't be measured then it probably doesn't exist.
One of the reasons for the success of the spread of Christianity was the laying hold of Greek thought mainly from Plato.
Religion means to tie or to bond meaning to tie or bond oneself with God or man to man.
The fewer a society becomes the more prosperous and arrogant it also becomes. It sows the seeds of its own servitude. It basic paradox is when it comes to liberty nothing fails like success. Human nature makes liberty and self-government very unstable.
If you wish to recognize God you must first know yourself. - Plato or Ficino, it credited both.
Man is born free and also in chains because of the invention of property.
Aristotle believed in a form of evolution or Darwinism.
katieeighty's review against another edition
3.0
This is more of a 3.5 than a 3. I found it to be an interesting examination of Plato and Aristotle's influences on western thought and society, although sometimes it felt a bit reductionist and potentially gives too much credit to them as the sole originators of certain ideas. It's also very much a book about well-educated men doing educated-man things, with not much acknowledgement of women, either as thinkers or as members of these societies that all the men are philosophizing about.
My main critique about the writing itself is the author's habit of describing the person he's about to focus on without naming him for several paragraphs. He'll describe where the person was born, his education, other interesting things to set up the grand reveal of who he is - oh! Karl Marx/St Thomas Aquinas/Pythagoras! Every. Single. Time. It wasn't even particularly effective as most of the chapters either name the person or start with quotes from people he's about to discuss. It just felt like an unnecessary and overused literary "trick."
My main critique about the writing itself is the author's habit of describing the person he's about to focus on without naming him for several paragraphs. He'll describe where the person was born, his education, other interesting things to set up the grand reveal of who he is - oh! Karl Marx/St Thomas Aquinas/Pythagoras! Every. Single. Time. It wasn't even particularly effective as most of the chapters either name the person or start with quotes from people he's about to discuss. It just felt like an unnecessary and overused literary "trick."
gingerreader99's review against another edition
5.0
Incredible. Herman easily crafts both a history and a story on the pages. Where things are not certain he vibrantly elaborates what may have been and everywhere else backs it up with historical evidence and explanations of multiple famous works. He clearly shows the strand of influence both Plato and Aristotle have on the entirety of modern civilization and has renewed my appreciation for both philosophers.
zb1113's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting lens through which to view history, gets a little preachy in the last two chapters.
bartmac's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0