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A review by bergsteiger
Stranger Than We Can Imagine: Making Sense of the Twentieth Century by John Higgs
3.0
The first couple of chapters were a little difficult for me as they were exercises in mental masturbation, where the author tried to sound erudite, but ultimately made no point. However, I'm glad I stuck with it and read the whole history.
This is a history based on themes and while it is loosely chronological as it progresses through the 20th century, the chapters are more intent on talking about ideas or paradigms that helped shape the century. Some of these chapters were quite good.
As the author neared the final decades of the 20th century though, he moved away from a creative explanation into the realm of axe grinding, bashing on the church and any other individual or institution that didn't fit his progressive viewpoint. This was really too bad, because some of the other chapters were incredibly insightful and approached the early/middle part of the century from new angles that provoked thought. The final chapters were both glib and politicized.
Also, this is almost entirely a history of the "Western World" with a heavy emphasis on Europe and the United States. You won't find hardly anything in here regarding Asia (I feel like communism could have been a chapter and then the author could have hit on East Asia quite easily within the framework of the book), Africa, or the Middle East.
Understand that while this book has plenty of flaws, it is a great exercise in viewing history in a multiple narrative format that looks at how people think and influence others versus the typical chronological narrative that you are probably used to. I would suggest picking this one up off the shelf and reading it, despite its faults--I think you will gain some great insights.
This is a history based on themes and while it is loosely chronological as it progresses through the 20th century, the chapters are more intent on talking about ideas or paradigms that helped shape the century. Some of these chapters were quite good.
As the author neared the final decades of the 20th century though, he moved away from a creative explanation into the realm of axe grinding, bashing on the church and any other individual or institution that didn't fit his progressive viewpoint. This was really too bad, because some of the other chapters were incredibly insightful and approached the early/middle part of the century from new angles that provoked thought. The final chapters were both glib and politicized.
Also, this is almost entirely a history of the "Western World" with a heavy emphasis on Europe and the United States. You won't find hardly anything in here regarding Asia (I feel like communism could have been a chapter and then the author could have hit on East Asia quite easily within the framework of the book), Africa, or the Middle East.
Understand that while this book has plenty of flaws, it is a great exercise in viewing history in a multiple narrative format that looks at how people think and influence others versus the typical chronological narrative that you are probably used to. I would suggest picking this one up off the shelf and reading it, despite its faults--I think you will gain some great insights.