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The Old Regime and the French Revolution
by Alexis de Tocqueville • 1856
The Revolution did not break with the past; it finished the centralization the monarchy built.
4.04
3k+
The Old Regime and the French Revolution Summary
The Old Regime and the French Revolution 93%
The Revolution did not break with the past; it finished the centralization the monarchy built.
by Alexis de Tocqueville 1856
4.04
3k+ ratings
A Bite-Sized History of France
by Stephane Henaut • 2018
French cuisine is a global collage. The myth of purity, dismantled one dish at a time.
4.19
2k+
A Bite-Sized History of France Summary
A Bite-Sized History of France 93%
French cuisine is a global collage. The myth of purity, dismantled one dish at a time.
by Stephane Henaut 2018
4.19
2k+ ratings
Dangerous Games
by Margaret MacMillan • 2008
History is never neutral. Nations and leaders weaponize it daily, and the patterns are predictable.
3.64
2k+
Dangerous Games Summary
Dangerous Games 92%
History is never neutral. Nations and leaders weaponize it daily, and the patterns are predictable.
by Margaret MacMillan 2008
3.64
2k+ ratings
Nations and Nationalism since 1780
by Eric J. Hobsbawm • 1990
Nationalism invented nations, not the reverse, and the two-century project is already decaying.
3.91
2k+
Nations and Nationalism since 1780 Summary
Nations and Nationalism since 1780 92%
Nationalism invented nations, not the reverse, and the two-century project is already decaying.
by Eric J. Hobsbawm 1990
3.91
2k+ ratings
The Gutenberg Parenthesis
by Jeff Jarvis • 2023
Before print, knowledge was conversation. Then books fenced it in. The fences are coming down.
3.83
218
The Gutenberg Parenthesis Summary
The Gutenberg Parenthesis 91%
Before print, knowledge was conversation. Then books fenced it in. The fences are coming down.
by Jeff Jarvis 2023
3.83
218 ratings
Civilization
by Niall Ferguson • 2011
Five hundred years of Western rule rested on six innovations. The rest have now caught up.
3.86
10k+
Civilization Summary
Civilization 91%
Five hundred years of Western rule rested on six innovations. The rest have now caught up.
by Niall Ferguson 2011
3.86
10k+ ratings
The Order of Things
by Michel Foucault • 1966
Thought is governed by hidden rules that have collapsed twice. 'Man' was their latest product.
4.12
10k+
The Order of Things Summary
The Order of Things 91%
Thought is governed by hidden rules that have collapsed twice. 'Man' was their latest product.
by Michel Foucault 1966
4.12
10k+ ratings
The Greater Journey
by David McCullough • 2011
Paris, 1830 to 1900. Americans arrived as students. They left as architects of a new culture.
3.94
21k+
The Greater Journey Summary
The Greater Journey 91%
Paris, 1830 to 1900. Americans arrived as students. They left as architects of a new culture.
by David McCullough 2011
3.94
21k+ ratings
National Identity
by Anthony D. Smith • 1991
Nations feel ancient, but they are modern inventions built from ethnic memories and myths.
3.71
243
National Identity Summary
National Identity 91%
Nations feel ancient, but they are modern inventions built from ethnic memories and myths.
by Anthony D. Smith 1991
3.71
243 ratings
Imagined Communities
by Benedict Anderson • 1983
Your nation is not ancient. Print markets, colonial maps, and selective forgetting built it.
4.11
17k+
Imagined Communities Summary
Imagined Communities 91%
Your nation is not ancient. Print markets, colonial maps, and selective forgetting built it.
by Benedict Anderson 1983
4.11
17k+ ratings
Age of Revolutions
by Fareed Zakaria • 2024
Four centuries of revolutions reveal one pattern: gradual change sticks; radical breaks collapse.
4.17
5k+
Age of Revolutions Summary
Age of Revolutions 91%
Four centuries of revolutions reveal one pattern: gradual change sticks; radical breaks collapse.
by Fareed Zakaria 2024
4.17
5k+ ratings
The Great Divergence
by Kenneth Pomeranz • 2000
Europe's industrial breakthrough wasn't its own genius. It took colonial land and underground coal.
3.68
1k+
The Great Divergence Summary
The Great Divergence 91%
Europe's industrial breakthrough wasn't its own genius. It took colonial land and underground coal.
by Kenneth Pomeranz 2000
3.68
1k+ ratings
Age of Anger
by Pankaj Mishra • 2017
Today's global resentments echo the fury that tore through modernizing Europe.
3.64
3k+
Age of Anger Summary
Age of Anger 91%
Today's global resentments echo the fury that tore through modernizing Europe.
by Pankaj Mishra 2017
3.64
3k+ ratings
Simulacra and Simulation
by Jean Baudrillard • 1981
What's left of reality when the map no longer copies the territory but creates it?
4.00
17k+
Simulacra and Simulation Summary
Simulacra and Simulation 91%
What's left of reality when the map no longer copies the territory but creates it?
by Jean Baudrillard 1981
4.00
17k+ ratings
The Case for Colonialism
by Bruce Gilley • 2023
Start new colonies from scratch. The controversial solution to a century of post-colonial disaster.
4.32
191
The Case for Colonialism Summary
The Case for Colonialism 91%
Start new colonies from scratch. The controversial solution to a century of post-colonial disaster.
by Bruce Gilley 2023
4.32
191 ratings
Modern Times
by Paul Johnson • 1983
Einstein and Freud dismantled the old moral universe. Into the void stepped the totalitarians.
4.29
3k+
Modern Times Summary
Modern Times 91%
Einstein and Freud dismantled the old moral universe. Into the void stepped the totalitarians.
by Paul Johnson 1983
4.29
3k+ ratings
The Lies of the Land
by Steven Conn • 2023
Farmers and crisis don't define rural America. Military bases, chains, and suburbia do.
3.98
148
The Lies of the Land Summary
The Lies of the Land 91%
Farmers and crisis don't define rural America. Military bases, chains, and suburbia do.
by Steven Conn 2023
3.98
148 ratings
A Culture of Growth
by Joel Mokyr • 2016
What fueled modern growth? Not property rights. A cultural shift that made nature a solvable puzzle.
3.94
427
A Culture of Growth Summary
A Culture of Growth 91%
What fueled modern growth? Not property rights. A cultural shift that made nature a solvable puzzle.
by Joel Mokyr 2016
3.94
427 ratings
The Dawn of Everything
by David Graeber • 2021
The story of human progress was built to bury indigenous challenges to European society.
4.19
27k+
The Dawn of Everything Summary
The Dawn of Everything 91%
The story of human progress was built to bury indigenous challenges to European society.
by David Graeber 2021
4.19
27k+ ratings
La science politique
by Philippe Braud • 1986
Elections are spectacle; political science studies the regulation of conflict beneath.
3
13
La science politique Summary
La science politique 91%
Elections are spectacle; political science studies the regulation of conflict beneath.
by Philippe Braud 1986
3
13 ratings
Conquests and Cultures
by Thomas Sowell • 1998
Geography blocked Africa, conquests lifted Britain, and human capital explains the gap.
4.44
964
Conquests and Cultures Summary
Conquests and Cultures 91%
Geography blocked Africa, conquests lifted Britain, and human capital explains the gap.
by Thomas Sowell 1998
4.44
964 ratings
Bandits
by Eric J. Hobsbawm • 1969
Every peasant society produces its own Robin Hood. A historian maps the universal pattern.
3.75
800
Bandits Summary
Bandits 91%
Every peasant society produces its own Robin Hood. A historian maps the universal pattern.
by Eric J. Hobsbawm 1969
3.75
800 ratings
War and Peace and War
by Peter Turchin • 2005
Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.
4.17
928
War and Peace and War Summary
War and Peace and War 91%
Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.
by Peter Turchin 2005
4.17
928 ratings
The Origins of Political Order
by Francis Fukuyama • 2011
China built a modern state eighteen centuries before Europe. That gap reshapes political history.
4.18
10k+
The Origins of Political Order Summary
The Origins of Political Order 91%
China built a modern state eighteen centuries before Europe. That gap reshapes political history.
by Francis Fukuyama 2011
4.18
10k+ ratings
Brave Genius
by Sean B. Carroll • 2013
Forged in the Resistance, a philosopher and a biologist fought the Cold War with different weapons.
4.28
727
Brave Genius Summary
Brave Genius 91%
Forged in the Resistance, a philosopher and a biologist fought the Cold War with different weapons.
by Sean B. Carroll 2013
4.28
727 ratings
A Short History of the World
by Christopher Lascelles • 2011
Thirteen billion years in one short book: why empires fall, ideas spread, and everything connects.
3.86
2k+
A Short History of the World Summary
A Short History of the World 91%
Thirteen billion years in one short book: why empires fall, ideas spread, and everything connects.
by Christopher Lascelles 2011
3.86
2k+ ratings
The Age of Capital, 1848–1875
by Eric J. Hobsbawm • 1975
After 1848, capitalism conquered the globe. Railways, gold, and free trade were its weapons.
4.27
5k+
The Age of Capital, 1848–1875 Summary
The Age of Capital, 1848–1875 91%
After 1848, capitalism conquered the globe. Railways, gold, and free trade were its weapons.
by Eric J. Hobsbawm 1975
4.27
5k+ ratings
1000 Years of Annoying the French
by Stephen Clarke • 2010
The Normans were Vikings. The guillotine was British. A thousand years of French history, corrected.
4.05
5k+
1000 Years of Annoying the French Summary
1000 Years of Annoying the French 91%
The Normans were Vikings. The guillotine was British. A thousand years of French history, corrected.
by Stephen Clarke 2010
4.05
5k+ ratings
Cooking for Kings
by Ian Kelly • 2003
Abandoned at ten on Paris streets. He became the pastry architect for Napoleon, tsars, and kings.
3.75
291
Cooking for Kings Summary
Cooking for Kings 91%
Abandoned at ten on Paris streets. He became the pastry architect for Napoleon, tsars, and kings.
by Ian Kelly 2003
3.75
291 ratings
The Square and the Tower
by Niall Ferguson • 2017
The real shapers of history were not kings but the networks connecting everyone else.
3.65
4k+
The Square and the Tower Summary
The Square and the Tower 91%
The real shapers of history were not kings but the networks connecting everyone else.
by Niall Ferguson 2017
3.65
4k+ ratings
Democracy in America
by Alexis de Tocqueville • 1835
Equality built American democracy—and made majority rule the new despotism.
4.05
27k+
Democracy in America Summary
Democracy in America 91%
Equality built American democracy—and made majority rule the new despotism.
by Alexis de Tocqueville 1835
4.05
27k+ ratings
Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times
by Stephen R. Covey • 2009
The West built its politics on a mistake: that humans are naturally selfish animals.
3.72
186
Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times Summary
Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times 91%
The West built its politics on a mistake: that humans are naturally selfish animals.
by Stephen R. Covey 2009
3.72
186 ratings
Cities
by Monica L. Smith • 2019
Cities were never about efficiency. They were about all the things you cannot get alone.
3.26
446
Cities Summary
Cities 90%
Cities were never about efficiency. They were about all the things you cannot get alone.
by Monica L. Smith 2019
3.26
446 ratings
End Times
by Peter Turchin • 2023
Ten millennia of data point to two conditions for state collapse. America now meets both.
4.06
3k+
End Times Summary
End Times 90%
Ten millennia of data point to two conditions for state collapse. America now meets both.
by Peter Turchin 2023
4.06
3k+ ratings
Mexico
by enrique-krauze • 1997
Mexican history told through its rulers: every new leader inherits the same unsettled conflicts.
4.27
659
Mexico Summary
Mexico 90%
Mexican history told through its rulers: every new leader inherits the same unsettled conflicts.
by enrique-krauze 1997
4.27
659 ratings
Soul Machine
by George Makari • 2015
Science couldn't find the soul. So early modern Europe invented the mind to take its place.
3.82
157
Soul Machine Summary
Soul Machine 90%
Science couldn't find the soul. So early modern Europe invented the mind to take its place.
by George Makari 2015
3.82
157 ratings
Seeing Like a State
by James C. Scott • 1998
Why grand state plans fail: the same simplifications that make society governable make it fragile.
4.21
7k+
Seeing Like a State Summary
Seeing Like a State 90%
Why grand state plans fail: the same simplifications that make society governable make it fragile.
by James C. Scott 1998
4.21
7k+ ratings
How We Got to Now
by Steven Johnson • 2014
Six ordinary breakthroughs built the modern world; their biggest consequences were never planned.
4.12
16k+
How We Got to Now Summary
How We Got to Now 90%
Six ordinary breakthroughs built the modern world; their biggest consequences were never planned.
by Steven Johnson 2014
4.12
16k+ ratings
At the Existentialist Café
by Sarah Bakewell • 2016
The existentialists built a philosophy from cafés, war, and each other's complicated lives.
4.24
20k+
At the Existentialist Café Summary
At the Existentialist Café 90%
The existentialists built a philosophy from cafés, war, and each other's complicated lives.
by Sarah Bakewell 2016
4.24
20k+ ratings
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee • 1987
History's pattern: empires die, and their true heirs are the churches they tried to crush.
4.11
543
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6 Summary
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6 90%
History's pattern: empires die, and their true heirs are the churches they tried to crush.
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee 1987
4.11
543 ratings
Going to Church in Medieval England
by Nicholas Orme • 2021
9,500 buildings held medieval England together: the parish church, from birth to burial.
4.19
295
Going to Church in Medieval England Summary
Going to Church in Medieval England 90%
9,500 buildings held medieval England together: the parish church, from birth to burial.
by Nicholas Orme 2021
4.19
295 ratings
Energy and Civilization
by Vaclav Smil • 2017
A week of American energy use matches a year of Nigerian. The history behind that gap.
4.09
4k+
Energy and Civilization Summary
Energy and Civilization 90%
A week of American energy use matches a year of Nigerian. The history behind that gap.
by Vaclav Smil 2017
4.09
4k+ ratings
Final Pagan Generation
by Edward J. Watts • 2015
Why Rome's last pagans didn't fight Christianity but managed its rise from inside the empire.
3.99
259
Final Pagan Generation Summary
Final Pagan Generation 90%
Why Rome's last pagans didn't fight Christianity but managed its rise from inside the empire.
by Edward J. Watts 2015
3.99
259 ratings
At Home
by Bill Bryson • 2010
Every room in your house conceals a history of bloodshed, invention, and empire.
3.99
99k+
At Home Summary
At Home 90%
Every room in your house conceals a history of bloodshed, invention, and empire.
by Bill Bryson 2010
3.99
99k+ ratings
Against the Grain
by James C. Scott • 2017
Every early state ran on a cereal grain. The rest of the story is coercion, plague, and collapse.
4.13
5k+
Against the Grain Summary
Against the Grain 90%
Every early state ran on a cereal grain. The rest of the story is coercion, plague, and collapse.
by James C. Scott 2017
4.13
5k+ ratings
The Storm Before the Calm
by George Friedman • 2020
Every eighty years America's government breaks; every fifty, its economy. Now both arrive at once.
4.05
3k+
The Storm Before the Calm Summary
The Storm Before the Calm 90%
Every eighty years America's government breaks; every fifty, its economy. Now both arrive at once.
by George Friedman 2020
4.05
3k+ ratings
Pakistan
by Anatol Lieven • 2011
Why Pakistan outlasts every prediction of its collapse: kinship, not government, runs the country.
4.12
2k+
Pakistan Summary
Pakistan 90%
Why Pakistan outlasts every prediction of its collapse: kinship, not government, runs the country.
by Anatol Lieven 2011
4.12
2k+ ratings
The Ancient Celts
by Barry Cunliffe • 2018
Two millennia of reinvention: the Celts as barbarians, noble savages, and nationalist ancestors.
3.92
1k+
The Ancient Celts Summary
The Ancient Celts 90%
Two millennia of reinvention: the Celts as barbarians, noble savages, and nationalist ancestors.
by Barry Cunliffe 2018
3.92
1k+ ratings
The English
by Jeremy Paxman • 1998
An island people built history's largest empire, then had to reinvent themselves once it crumbled.
3.55
3k+
The English Summary
The English 90%
An island people built history's largest empire, then had to reinvent themselves once it crumbled.
by Jeremy Paxman 1998
3.55
3k+ ratings
The Fourth Turning Is Here
by Neil Howe • 2023
An 80-year cycle pushes America toward a 2030 crisis. The last two ended in total war.
3.93
3k+
The Fourth Turning Is Here Summary
The Fourth Turning Is Here 90%
An 80-year cycle pushes America toward a 2030 crisis. The last two ended in total war.
by Neil Howe 2023
3.93
3k+ ratings
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