Three-and-a-half stars for the book itself, which presents the history of human thought in chapters that detail the world's greatest discoveries, scientists and thinkers from astronomy to geography to psychology to religion and dozens of other points in between. I round my review up to four for the fact that my copy is dog-eared and falling apart because it was my late father's favourite book. He was an armchair traveller and pursuer of knowledge who was curtailed only by his life's circumstances from being an adventurer and discoverer himself. Dated now, and certainly not as high-falutin' as some other scientific treatises out there--but as erudite as it is accessible; expansive in scope but still a user-friendly introduction to what can often be intimidating subjects.

A monumental achievement. Well worth the reading. It wasn't as compellingly written as I might have liked. It took me a good while to get through it. But it's a great reference work.

Neither deep nor systematic, this popular history of human discovery is still a fun, albeit anecdotal, read.

The erudition required to weave the multiple weaves of history into a concise umbrella is marvelous. Reminds of the body of work by master authors such as Niall Ferguson and David McCullough. I particularly enjoyed the chapters related to the prominence of maps, the history of medicine and the economy. If you take nothing else from Boorstin's work you should be left with the following: you can't improve upon something if there was nothing before it. Consider Galen's work on medicine, without it (even when mostly erroneous), there could be no enlightenment and improvement. Boorstin, perhaps argues, for the genius of iteration as well urges people to be open to new ideas. Imagine how much farther along medicine would be if people were able to move past Galen. This book is about discovery and those interested in a deeper understanding of why the West rose to prominence should look to Civilization: The West and the Rest by Niall Ferguson.Boorstin isn't afraid to take down historical favorites such as Adam Smith and Colombus (whom he has a particular dislike), but balances his critique with the application credit where and when it's due. Overall, a highly enjoyable book with prodigious amounts of information to digest. Good luck reading it quickly. Rating: 4/5

An adventure story of our gradual awakening to the world through clocks, telescopes, microscopes, maps, and the printing press. There is immense scholarship that mines the lives of thinkers, scholars, rulers, poets, inventors, scientists, and artists.Boorstin's book is a tour de force, pulling together sources from multiple sources and cultures to give us a mirror of our intellectual, scientific evolution. The conflict between traditional sources of authority and liberating technologies provides an excellent context in which to understand the current political upheavals as the Internet, AI, and robotics reshape our language, culture, and expectations. Highly recommended.