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1177 B.C.
by Eric H. Cline • 2014
The Bronze Age had trade routes and diplomacy. A cascade of disasters brought it down.
3.74
13k+
1177 B.C. Summary
1177 B.C. 94%
The Bronze Age had trade routes and diplomacy. A cascade of disasters brought it down.
by Eric H. Cline 2014
3.74
13k+ 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 93%
Cities were never about efficiency. They were about all the things you cannot get alone.
by Monica L. Smith 2019
3.26
446 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 93%
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
Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament
by John H. Walton • 2006
The Old Testament's world was nothing like ours. Its hardest verses only make sense inside it.
4.25
809
Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament Summary
Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament 93%
The Old Testament's world was nothing like ours. Its hardest verses only make sense inside it.
by John H. Walton 2006
4.25
809 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 93%
Thirteen billion years in one short book: why empires fall, ideas spread, and everything connects.
by Christopher Lascelles 2011
3.86
2k+ ratings
After 1177 B.C.
by Eric H. Cline • 2024
Not every civilization collapsed in 1177 B.C. Egypt barely coped; Phoenicia and Cyprus thrived.
3.77
2k+
After 1177 B.C. Summary
After 1177 B.C. 93%
Not every civilization collapsed in 1177 B.C. Egypt barely coped; Phoenicia and Cyprus thrived.
by Eric H. Cline 2024
3.77
2k+ 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 93%
The story of human progress was built to bury indigenous challenges to European society.
by David Graeber 2021
4.19
27k+ ratings
Guns, Germs, and Steel
by Jared Diamond • 2005
Eurasia had wheat and an east-west axis. The Americas didn't. Geography decided who conquered whom.
4.04
467k+
Guns, Germs, and Steel Summary
Guns, Germs, and Steel 93%
Eurasia had wheat and an east-west axis. The Americas didn't. Geography decided who conquered whom.
by Jared Diamond 2005
4.04
467k+ ratings
A Short History of the World
by H.G. Wells • 1922
Human history is the final page of a two-billion-year story we are only beginning to read.
3.86
3k+
A Short History of the World Summary
A Short History of the World 93%
Human history is the final page of a two-billion-year story we are only beginning to read.
by H.G. Wells 1922
3.86
3k+ ratings
Biblical Archaeology
by Eric H. Cline • 2009
Biblical archaeology set out to prove scripture. It built a science that asked better questions.
3.91
340
Biblical Archaeology Summary
Biblical Archaeology 93%
Biblical archaeology set out to prove scripture. It built a science that asked better questions.
by Eric H. Cline 2009
3.91
340 ratings
The Persian Empire
by John W.I. Lee • 2012
Greek histories painted Persia as despotism. The empire's own record tells a different story.
4.10
520
The Persian Empire Summary
The Persian Empire 92%
Greek histories painted Persia as despotism. The empire's own record tells a different story.
by John W.I. Lee 2012
4.10
520 ratings
Ultrasociety
by Peter Turchin • 2015
War did not just destroy. Over ten millennia, it built the greatest cooperators on Earth.
4.11
464
Ultrasociety Summary
Ultrasociety 92%
War did not just destroy. Over ten millennia, it built the greatest cooperators on Earth.
by Peter Turchin 2015
4.11
464 ratings
The Collapse of Complex Societies
by Joseph A. Tainter • 1988
Society's greatest threat isn't invasion; it's the rising cost of keeping itself organized.
4.15
2k+
The Collapse of Complex Societies Summary
The Collapse of Complex Societies 92%
Society's greatest threat isn't invasion; it's the rising cost of keeping itself organized.
by Joseph A. Tainter 1988
4.15
2k+ ratings
Culture
by Martin Puchner • 2023
Borrowing, theft, lucky accidents: four millennia of cultural history. Purity was never the point.
3.92
924
Culture Summary
Culture 92%
Borrowing, theft, lucky accidents: four millennia of cultural history. Purity was never the point.
by Martin Puchner 2023
3.92
924 ratings
Palestine
by Nur Masalha • 2018
Palestine's name and people stretch back three millennia. That history was deliberately buried.
4.03
1k+
Palestine Summary
Palestine 92%
Palestine's name and people stretch back three millennia. That history was deliberately buried.
by Nur Masalha 2018
4.03
1k+ ratings
Origin Story
by David Christian • 2008
How energy and information built the universe, life, and us. What they mean for our future.
4.06
8k+
Origin Story Summary
Origin Story 92%
How energy and information built the universe, life, and us. What they mean for our future.
by David Christian 2008
4.06
8k+ ratings
God
by Francesca Stavrakopoulou • 2021
The Bible's God had feet, hands, and genitals: the ancient body theology erased.
4.25
2k+
God Summary
God 92%
The Bible's God had feet, hands, and genitals: the ancient body theology erased.
by Francesca Stavrakopoulou 2021
4.25
2k+ ratings
Four Lost Cities
by Annalee Newitz • 2021
Lost cities didn't vanish; their people walked away when rulers chose monuments over working sewers.
3.78
7k+
Four Lost Cities Summary
Four Lost Cities 92%
Lost cities didn't vanish; their people walked away when rulers chose monuments over working sewers.
by Annalee Newitz 2021
3.78
7k+ 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 92%
Europe's industrial breakthrough wasn't its own genius. It took colonial land and underground coal.
by Kenneth Pomeranz 2000
3.68
1k+ 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 92%
Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.
by Peter Turchin 2005
4.17
928 ratings
The Arabs in History
by Bernard Lewis • 1950
The early Arab conquests expanded a nation, not a faith. The empire came a century later.
3.73
450
The Arabs in History Summary
The Arabs in History 92%
The early Arab conquests expanded a nation, not a faith. The empire came a century later.
by Bernard Lewis 1950
3.73
450 ratings
In Search of the Phoenicians
by Josephine Quinn • 2017
The Phoenicians never called themselves that; Greeks, Romans, and modern nations invented them.
3.67
150
In Search of the Phoenicians Summary
In Search of the Phoenicians 92%
The Phoenicians never called themselves that; Greeks, Romans, and modern nations invented them.
by Josephine Quinn 2017
3.67
150 ratings
Work
by James Suzman • 2020
Work predates paychecks by billions of years. A history of how energy became employment.
3.83
3k+
Work Summary
Work 92%
Work predates paychecks by billions of years. A history of how energy became employment.
by James Suzman 2020
3.83
3k+ 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 92%
Five hundred years of Western rule rested on six innovations. The rest have now caught up.
by Niall Ferguson 2011
3.86
10k+ ratings
A History of the Jews
by Paul Johnson • 1987
They outlasted every empire that sought to destroy them. The four-thousand-year story of how.
4.17
3k+
A History of the Jews Summary
A History of the Jews 92%
They outlasted every empire that sought to destroy them. The four-thousand-year story of how.
by Paul Johnson 1987
4.17
3k+ ratings
Sasanian Persia
by Touraj Daryaee • 2007
Rome's greatest rival invented an Iranian identity that outlived the empire itself.
3.84
180
Sasanian Persia Summary
Sasanian Persia 92%
Rome's greatest rival invented an Iranian identity that outlived the empire itself.
by Touraj Daryaee 2007
3.84
180 ratings
The Empathic Civilization
by Jeremy Rifkin • 2009
Every energy revolution expanded human empathy. Now that same engine threatens to undo us all.
4.03
937
The Empathic Civilization Summary
The Empathic Civilization 92%
Every energy revolution expanded human empathy. Now that same engine threatens to undo us all.
by Jeremy Rifkin 2009
4.03
937 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 92%
A week of American energy use matches a year of Nigerian. The history behind that gap.
by Vaclav Smil 2017
4.09
4k+ 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 92%
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
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 92%
China built a modern state eighteen centuries before Europe. That gap reshapes political history.
by Francis Fukuyama 2011
4.18
10k+ 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
A Study of History, abridged
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee • 1957
History's real units are civilizations, not nations. Their collapses conceal a spiritual purpose.
4.10
224
A Study of History, abridged Summary
A Study of History, abridged 91%
History's real units are civilizations, not nations. Their collapses conceal a spiritual purpose.
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee 1957
4.10
224 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
Yemen
by Victoria Clark • 2010
How tribal resistance, a cynical president, and Saudi's shadow made Yemen a jihadist stronghold.
3.71
276
Yemen Summary
Yemen 91%
How tribal resistance, a cynical president, and Saudi's shadow made Yemen a jihadist stronghold.
by Victoria Clark 2010
3.71
276 ratings
Did God Have a Wife? Archaeology and Folk Religion in Ancient Israel
by William G. Dever • 2005
Archaeology reveals ordinary Israelites worshiped Asherah as Yahweh's consort. The Bible erased her.
3.93
307
Did God Have a Wife? Archaeology and Folk Religion in Ancient Israel Summary
Did God Have a Wife? Archaeology and Folk Religion in Ancient Israel 91%
Archaeology reveals ordinary Israelites worshiped Asherah as Yahweh's consort. The Bible erased her.
by William G. Dever 2005
3.93
307 ratings
The Fate of Rome
by Kyle Harper • 2017
The Roman Empire wasn't just conquered. It was overwhelmed by climate chaos and pandemic disease.
4.19
2k+
The Fate of Rome Summary
The Fate of Rome 91%
The Roman Empire wasn't just conquered. It was overwhelmed by climate chaos and pandemic disease.
by Kyle Harper 2017
4.19
2k+ ratings
What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam & Modernity in the Middle East
by Bernard Lewis • 2001
For centuries Islam led the world. Then, suddenly, it fell behind. A historian asks why.
3.55
4k+
What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam & Modernity in the Middle East Summary
What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam & Modernity in the Middle East 91%
For centuries Islam led the world. Then, suddenly, it fell behind. A historian asks why.
by Bernard Lewis 2001
3.55
4k+ ratings
Goliath's Curse
by Luke Kemp • 2025
Hierarchy was a 12,000-year mistake. Its final collapse could take our species with it.
4.06
1k+
Goliath's Curse Summary
Goliath's Curse 91%
Hierarchy was a 12,000-year mistake. Its final collapse could take our species with it.
by Luke Kemp 2025
4.06
1k+ ratings
Fingerprints of the Gods
by Graham Hancock • 1995
Maps of ice-free Antarctica. Flood myths with astronomical codes. Who left them?
4.15
16k+
Fingerprints of the Gods Summary
Fingerprints of the Gods 91%
Maps of ice-free Antarctica. Flood myths with astronomical codes. Who left them?
by Graham Hancock 1995
4.15
16k+ ratings
Jerusalem
by Simon Sebag Montefiore • 2011
The city that drives a hundred pilgrims insane, and the 3,000-year story behind the madness.
4.1
14k+
Jerusalem Summary
Jerusalem 91%
The city that drives a hundred pilgrims insane, and the 3,000-year story behind the madness.
by Simon Sebag Montefiore 2011
4.1
14k+ ratings
Nonzero
by Robert Wright
History bends toward cooperation, not because we're good, but because interdependence pays.
3.97
3k+
Nonzero Summary
Nonzero 91%
History bends toward cooperation, not because we're good, but because interdependence pays.
by Robert Wright
3.97
3k+ ratings
Hidden History
by Brian Haughton • 2007
Twelve ancient mysteries where the evidence outlasts every explanation archaeologists have offered.
3.71
233
Hidden History Summary
Hidden History 91%
Twelve ancient mysteries where the evidence outlasts every explanation archaeologists have offered.
by Brian Haughton 2007
3.71
233 ratings
Origins
by Lewis Dartnell • 2019
Tectonic shifts, ice ages, and ancient oceans didn't set the stage. They wrote human history.
4.17
4k+
Origins Summary
Origins 91%
Tectonic shifts, ice ages, and ancient oceans didn't set the stage. They wrote human history.
by Lewis Dartnell 2019
4.17
4k+ ratings
An Economy and a State for Lebanon
by Charbel Nahas • 2020
Behind Lebanon's crisis: a currency illusion, a sectarian spoils system, and a generation that fled.
4.33
15
An Economy and a State for Lebanon Summary
An Economy and a State for Lebanon 91%
Behind Lebanon's crisis: a currency illusion, a sectarian spoils system, and a generation that fled.
by Charbel Nahas 2020
4.33
15 ratings
The Prize
by Daniel Yergin • 1991
How a dark liquid wrote the rules of power, decided wars, and built the greatest fortunes.
4.44
13k+
The Prize Summary
The Prize 91%
How a dark liquid wrote the rules of power, decided wars, and built the greatest fortunes.
by Daniel Yergin 1991
4.44
13k+ ratings
Decline and Fall
by John Michael Greer • 2014
Empires are wealth pumps. America's runs on oil, nearly dry. The collapse cycle is inevitable.
4.29
156
Decline and Fall Summary
Decline and Fall 91%
Empires are wealth pumps. America's runs on oil, nearly dry. The collapse cycle is inevitable.
by John Michael Greer 2014
4.29
156 ratings
The First Ghosts
by Irving Finkel • 2021
Ghosts are ancient, but Mesopotamia left the first written rules for living with the restless dead.
4.01
499
The First Ghosts Summary
The First Ghosts 91%
Ghosts are ancient, but Mesopotamia left the first written rules for living with the restless dead.
by Irving Finkel 2021
4.01
499 ratings
Nexus
by Yuval Noah Harari • 2024
The history of information is the history of power. The next chapter has no human author.
4.16
52k+
Nexus Summary
Nexus 91%
The history of information is the history of power. The next chapter has no human author.
by Yuval Noah Harari 2024
4.16
52k+ ratings
Ibn Khaldun
by Robert Irwin • 2018
The 14th-century thinker who discovered why civilizations rise and fall in predictable cycles.
3.68
356
Ibn Khaldun Summary
Ibn Khaldun 91%
The 14th-century thinker who discovered why civilizations rise and fall in predictable cycles.
by Robert Irwin 2018
3.68
356 ratings
The 12th Planet
by Zecharia Sitchin • 1976
A 12th planet sent alien gods to Earth, where they engineered humans to mine gold.
3.98
6k+
The 12th Planet Summary
The 12th Planet 91%
A 12th planet sent alien gods to Earth, where they engineered humans to mine gold.
by Zecharia Sitchin 1976
3.98
6k+ ratings
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