The World's Best Book Summaries
What is the history of agriculture? How did it originate? Was the origin of farming an intentional decision on the part of our ancestors? The history of agriculture includes the domestication of wheat about 10,000 years ago. It was at this time that early Sapiens shifted from a nomadic life to a farming life. We’ll cover the origin of agriculture and its early history.
What was the Warring States Period? What can it teach us about battle tactics? The Warring States Period, or Era of Warring States, was a period between around 480 B.C.E. to around 246 B.C.E. During this era, various Chinese dynasties were at war, including the Wei, Zhou, Han, and Qi. The Qi eventually won control of the area. We’ll cover how the warring states formed alliances during this period and what we can learn from their turmoil.
The history of religion is vast. What are the main turning points in the history of religion? How has religion unified mankind? How has it divided us? The history of religion starts with animism and progresses through the rise of polytheism, monotheism, and natural law religions. Each type of religion influenced the ones that came later, and today we see the legacies of them. We’ll cover the history of religion from the animism of our forager ancestors to some of the most widespread religions today.
Who was General Cao Cao? What lessons can we learn from China’s General Cao Cao? How did he follow the principles of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War to lead his forces to victory? General Cao Cao was a well-respected and renowned military leader in Chinese history who avidly abided by Sun Tzu’s Art of War. Toward the end of the Han dynasty (206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E.), Cao Cao often invaded enemy territories. We’ll cover three lessons you can learn from General Cao Cao and how he adapted Sun Tzu’s strategies to become a great leader.
Does Arthurian legend follow the conventions of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? In what ways is King Arthur the archetypical hero of classic legends? We’ll cover the elements of the hero’s journey and how Arthurian legends map onto these elements.
What is the belief in many gods? What were the benefits of polytheism for our ancestors? Polytheism is the belief in many gods. After the Agricultural Revolution, our ancestors worshipped gods in return for dominance over plants and animals. We’ll cover the rise of polytheism and how polytheism is inherently tolerant of diversities in race, culture, and lifestyle.
Is there Neanderthal DNA in modern humans? How much? How did it get there? Some people have up to 4% Neanderthal DNA. This is because early Homo sapiens, our species, interbred with Neanderthals, a different human species. Learn the difference between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens and how researchers made the surprising discovery that there’s Neanderthal DNA in some modern humans.
How does Buddha’s journey toward enlightenment follow the hero’s journey, as described in Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces? What was the Buddha’s “call to action”? In Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, every significant adventure in mythology and religion starts with a call to action. We’ll cover how the Buddha’s journey conforms to the hero’s journey and what the Buddha’s call to action was.
What was the Pleistocene extinction? Why was it one of the biggest animal extinctions caused by humans in history? The Pleistocene extinction was the event in which many large mammals about 45,000 years ago. According to the Pleistocene overkill hypothesis, this mass extinction was caused by human migration to previously uninhabited areas of the world. We’ll cover what kinds of animals went extinct during the Pleistocene extinction and how humans became history’s most egregious serial killers.
What is Sun Tzu’s strategy for battle in The Art of War? Why is terrain so important to Sun Tzu’s overall strategy? Within the strategy of successful leadership, you must understand both the types of terrain and grounds on which battles may be waged. Terrain includes all physical elements of the land, and grounds refer to the psychological considerations encompassed in the land. We’ll cover the terrain to be aware of and other elements of Sun Tzu’s strategy for battle.