
Ideas
by Peter Watson · first published 2005
8mentions
4recommended by
4HN commenters
2010–2022first – last mentioned
100% recommend
In this hugely ambitious and stimulating book, Peter Watson describes the history of ideas, from deep antiquity to the present day, leading to a new way of understanding our world and ourselves.The narrative begins nearly two million years ago with the invention of hand-axes and explores how some of our most cherished notions might have originated before humans had language. Then, in a broad sweep, the book moves forward to consider not the battles and treaties of kings and prime ministers, emperors and generals, but the most important ideas we have evolved, by which we live and which separate
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If you enjoyed this then I highly recommend Ideas: A History by Peter Watson, a far superior book in my opinion. I found Sapiens to be shallow and full of useless waffle after reading Ideas. It really highlights the fact that Harari presents one particular…
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗The fascinating speculation for me is the similarity of Krishna and Christ. I first read about this in the fantastic book "Ideas" by Peter Watson https://www.amazon.com/Ideas-History-Thought-Invention-Freud...
on “The word “lox” hasn't changed in sound or meaning in 8k years” ↗The two best books I've read, which provide the broad historical narrative more so than dates and trivia - Peter Watson's A History from Fire to Freud - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ideas-history-Freud-Peter-Watson/dp/... and John Keegan's A History of Warfare - http://www.amazon.com/History-Warfare-John-Keegan/dp/0679730... I don't think either is necessarily the best on the subject,…
on “Why Most People Think Memorizing Historical Facts is Useless (and Why It Isn’t)” ↗Highly recommend, Ideas: A History by Peter Watson. Has a little less about historical events and more on the ideas that shaped humanity. The part on early human development is also fascinating. https://www.amazon.com/d/Books/Ideas-History-Peter-Watson/07...
on “Summer Reading List” ↗Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention, from Fire to Freud by Peter Watson. Just an amazing survey of how people have thought and created over the course of human history. For me, it put so many periods…
on “Ask HN: What is one book you would recommend everyone to read?” ↗If you looking for something more substantive I highly recommend Ideas by Peter Watson: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/408204.Ideas
on “The Dangerous Populist Science of Yuval Noah Harari” ↗You may have seen Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention by Watson. Could be a good umbrella book to tie it all together.
on “PG's Rarely Asked Questions” ↗Ideas: A history by Peter Watson is absolutely fantastic. Gives a comprehensive account of the ideas and technologies that have shaped humanity "from fire to Freud".
on “Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?” ↗