内容简介
Aone-voumereferencetothehistoryofideasthatisacompendiumofeverythingthathumankindhasthought,invented,created,considered,andperfectedfromthebeginningofcivilizationintothetwenty-firstcentury.Massiveinitsscope,andyettotal
作者简介
VanDoren,onceeditorialdirectoroftheEncyclopediaBrittanica,hasproducedaminiatureencyclopedia,organizedtoshowthatthereisprogressinknowledge.HepraisesColumbusforgivingus"aworldwellonthewaytotheunityitexperiencestoday."Indiaismentionedasthesourceofthecastesystem.TheChinesegaveusConfucius,butVanDorennotestheirmainlegacyseemstobegoodrecipesfortyranny.Hewarnsthatsomegoodknowledgeisunpleasant:wemustnowcontrolourtechnology.Ultimately,thebestknowledgeforhimisWesternscientificknowledgesinceitiscumulative,meaningthatbettertheoriesnearlyalwaysreplaceworseones.AnavidreaderofPopularMechanicswhowenttosleepinPeoria,Illinoisin1920andawoketodaywiththisbookinher/hishandswouldprobablyfindtheiridealsintact,needingonlynewtechnicalknowledgeandpreparationforVanDoren'spredictedrevoltofintelligentmachines.VanDorenhasdistilledtheideologyofscientificprogressintoaneat,shortdrinkthatshouldwinhimaplaceoneverylibraryshelf.
