A review by booksrockcal
How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World and Everything in It by Arthur Herman

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

I truly enjoyed this book that examines the impact of Scots on the modern world. I really appreciate the book because most of what I’ve been reading to prepare for a trip to Scotland provides a litany of kings and feuds and battles that is often confusing. This book does cover that history but its focus is on intellectual history. It discusses the influence of Scottish enlightenment figures Hume and Hutchison and Smith’s influence on the development of Democratic ideas that led to the American Revolution and formed the basis of the US Constitution- and similar governments developing in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It looks at Scottish inventors and businessmen like James Watt and Alexander Graham Bell and Andrew Carnegie and focuses on their contributions to science, technology and education. Similarly Herman considers Scott and Burns and their impact on literature- he also looks at Stevenson, Barrie, and Conan Doyle but not with as much reverence as he accords to Burns and Scott. What really came through for me is that the Scottish emphasis on education - all towns had compulsory school for all children beginning in the 17th century and the universities welcomed all not just Anglicans (like Oxford and Cambridge)- led to an educated populace  even among those without means to become educated in other countries. A really interesting and enlightening read.