Samantha’s study of world history at 30,000 feet

I am looking forward to following your thread. It would be useful if you touchstoned all of your book citations.

Thanks for this,

Robert

I'm in awe of your ambition.

Best of luck, though. I look forward to looking-in on this thread.

And sometimes touchstones are goofy. You just have to let them go. I just tried to find some of the books you mentioned although I didn't, at this hour, dig too deep, and indeed they don't seem to be here on LibraryThing. Touchstones or not, I'll be looking forward to your posts.

Robert

Tim is in the middle of updating the Talk pages but hasn't released anything that you can see yet. However, part of the update is to touchstones and as a consequence the index used for touchstones hasn't been updated for several months. Any books added in that time will not be able to be touchstoned (well I think you can used the work number::work name trick if you know it).

That's exactly why I don't read books less than a hundred years old.

Yeah, but I actually went looking for the books to get the work number and couldn't find them.

Robert

Ah, well if no one has entered them on LT then there's nothing that can be done.

For a 'World History from Low Earth-Orbit' I recommend 'The "Times" COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE WORLD' (2008) (978-1-4351-1112-7). This is a large book that a will require a table to support it while reading. The entries are all geographically displayed because the earlier editions were titled The Times Atlas of World History. If you think you have nothing to learn about history in this format then you should take a look at this work. Highly recommended.

History cannot be understood apart from the geography and resources (generally a geographical interest, not historical) of the area under study. I have an older version of the Times Atlas of World History and read it mostly for the geographical aspects, not the battles and such, but why did history happen the way it did. Geography has much to tell us in this regard.

I don't think we even teach our children how to spell geography these days. And they wonder why Americans are so ignorant.

I am excited to follow your researches Samantha. We have a remarkable overlap of interests. Have you found anything particularly illuminating on the physical adaptations of dinosaurs, and the evolutionary relationships among the various species?

I have found these pretty good:

Dinosaur extinction and the end of an era : what the fossils say
by J. David Archibald (quite densely packed, requiring focus)

After the Dinosaurs: The Age of Mammals (Life of the Past)
by Donald R. Prothero (obviously for the next phase, the radiation of the mammals)

The Simon & Schuster Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures: A Visual Who's Who of Prehistoric Life by Barry Cox (vividly displayed and accessible, touchstone not working: Here it is : http://www.librarything.com/work/37696/book/35967988 )

I hope those extinction events don't include the old canard about the asteroid. The dinosaurs pfarted themselves to death. Given the amount of plant food eaten per day in dinosaurland they poisoned the atmosphere with their gaseous emissions.

They are all of a fairly scholarly bent. Even the Simon and Schuster, believe it or not. They support claims well. I'd hate to ruin anything by commenting on a particular plot line! :)

20> I found that The bird : a natural history of who birds are, where they came from, and how they live had a very informative section on what is known about the early evolution of birds.

Yeah, I have a modest fossil collection myself, mostly plants and insects, a few nice trilobites and a fish, but personally I'd like some Acheulian hand axes and an Australopithecus skull...

The was an excellent NOVA TV show on the Liaoning fossils. Here are some wonderful pictures (Make sure to click on the interactive version):

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/fossils-cretaceous.html

In college, I had an anthropology professor who was an expert on hominid dentition. He had wonderful teeth! :) (And skulls!)

Speaking of hand axes, the other day I hiked through a valley here in the Alps and spent most of the day carrying around this rock I found which fit perfectly into my hand, was kinda sharp, and was generally fun to whack things with. Eventually I tossed it when the trail got steep and I needed to use my hands. It didn't occur to me until later that it may actually have been a tool made by someone thousands of years ago. D'oh!

It'll be found thousands of years ago with your hand oils on it, and used as evidence that hand axes were still sometimes used even in the era of the Great Anthropogenic Extinction...

I was more worried about some borax poindexter Austrian scientist finding it and getting all the credit for some amazing discovery.. haha

Interestingly, I was just at a place in Budapest that had to do with just this idea... I have a little bit about it in my forthcoming journal entry.

History is such a vast field, covering thousands of years and billions of lives, that it's hard to get a good overview of it. Most historians become specialists in one tiny geographical area, or one topic.

But that's a mistake, in my opinion. Only when you 'zoom out' and take a look at the big picture, do you really understand history. For example, the war which Americans call the 'French and Indian War' was actually one theater of a much larger, global war, 'The Seven Years' War', that was also fought in Europe and India. In fact, New France became a British possession because the Empress of Russia died. The new Emperor, Peter (not the Great) who was a fan of Fredrick the Great, withdrew Russia from the war. Prussia, Britain's ally, which was on the brink of defeat, rallied. The war was soon won in Europe. France, during the peace negotiations, had to accept her losses in North America and India, or face more important losses closer to home.

However, if all you knew was Canadian and American history, you would never know that. You'd have an incomplete and distorted view... of Canadian and American history.

Yet if all you know is the zoomed out view you wouldn't know that in the Colonies the war was known as the French and Indian War or understand their unique perspective on it. Both points of view are needed for a complete understanding (if such a thing is even possible).

Had the French not stirred up the Indians would George Washington ever have become president?

>33 jjwilson61: Yes, that's true too. One of the most profitable ways to study history is to study, in depth, several different areas/eras of history. Then you can make useful comparisons, and you find, for example, that the Aboriginal pearling industry in the Torres Strait (between Australia and New Guinea) went through similar stages of development and decline as Inuit whaling in the Canadian Arctic or Maori whaling in New Zealand. Yet the differences between the three marine industries speaks volumes about the Aboriginal-European relations in each country.

>34 geneg: Good question. But once war started in North America, it was impossible- at that time- that the Native Americans would not become involved. Don't forget that there were Native Americans on both sides- some pro-British, and some pro-French. If all the Indians had been pro-French, the British and American colonists probably would have lost.

Blasphemy!! ;-P

Nah, I know what you mean, we all have areas like that. I think it's funny too when there are aspects of history you may be interested in, but maybe not the time periods or whatever. For instance, I have a general interest in the early-ish history of labor rights and socialist movements in the US, even though I really don't care too much for US history in general!

>41 Samantha_kathy: Thanks for the link, Samantha -- enjoyed that!

Wow, it never really occurred to me that there might be DVDs about archaeology... guess it makes sense though ;-D

I suppose I'm just used to the History channel being a pile of crap that I forget there used to be shows like "In Search of History" and such...

Well, what I meant was how it seems everything on the History channel these days is about lumberjacks or truck drivers ;-D

I have a lot of archeology in my library. Among the general books, the "about archeology" ones, these are good:

The Oxford Companion to Archaeology by Brian M. Fagan. Quite good.

Doorways Through Time The Romance of Archaeology by Stephen Bertman. Fun.

Uncovering the Past: A History of Archaeology by William H. Stiebing. Thoughtful, rigorous.

Eyewitness to discovery : first-person accounts of more than fifty of the world's greatest archaeological discoveries by Brian M. Fagan. Archeology candy; ie. fun.

I don't know why the touchstone isn't working for the last one. It's: http://www.librarything.com/work/105900

>46 Feicht:, yea, I was wondering about that, too. Ridiculous programming has taken over. Just another reason to avoid the hypno-box.

Resubmitting up to a few times can cure that touchstone thing where you have the number and format right, but it doesn't always work.

Robert

Yes. Tried that.

Samantha, I'm impressed by your dedication and organization. I look forward to following along with you.

For those bemoaning the lack of geography skills amongst current American children, I recently read the following in The War Lovers regarding President William McKinley:

“To the former Ohio congressman, the Philippines were still indistinct shapes on the far side of the globe. McKinley would remark to a friend that he ‘could not have told where those darned islands were within 2,000 miles.”

What was it Ambrose Bierce said, "War is how God teaches Americans geography." Something like that.

>26 Feicht: Feicht

Those 'Handaxes' have been revealed to actually be Throwing-Axes that are believed to be used to wound herd animals so that they can be hunted down when they have been weakened by loss of blood and left behind when the rest of the herd runs away. That is why most of them have sharp edges all the way around, and are one of the most ancient types of hunting weapons of humans, as well as the most common.

So, where are you now, Samantha? Have you moved on to hominids yet?

I hope you feel better.

Rest up! The books will always be there.

Sometimes I like to listen to audiobooks, when I'm not feeling well, or my eyes get too sore. But then the problem is trying to stay awake. There's nothing more soporific then listening to someone read to you.

>60 madpoet:, 61: I rely on audiobooks to keep me awake during my 1.5 hour commute to work. I've found over time, though, that I must choose VERY carefully. If the book or the reader isn't engaging I am lulled towards sleep. Not good. Right now I'm listening to Washington: A Life and it's very good.

> 62 I do the same. It's usually Teaching Company courses -- which are usually quite good -- but sometimes books on tape.

If you really want to fall asleep, though, I'd recommend Librivox's version of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations. Works like a charm. You'll be asleep in 5 minutes.

>65 Samantha_kathy:, Yes, both experiences are good in different ways. Audio books are excellent for enabling me to "read" when I wouldn't otherwise be able. But nothing beats the pleasure of holding a book in my hands. I suspect the kindle will be an invaluable tool for you because it will enable you to get a wide range of books in a very compact format. I used to use my Tungsten T5 PDA to read books and I really enjoyed it because it enabled me to carry over 300 books in my pocket. Despite its tiny screen I liked it because it was pocket size and the free books from Project Gutenberg. That said, physical books on my own shelves or in my hand is the best, followed closely by the library.

> 64 Funny, that's what got me off sleeping pills!

SK, very interesting blog. Thanks for sharing. That said, I must urge you to run -- do not walk -- run to the nearest Book Police precinct and turn yourself in for skipping ahead to check the book's ending. Egads, woman, what were you thinking!!!! Such giddy irresponsibility! ; )

SK, What is it that you like most about posting/blogging? I know from my learning style that I don't learn best just from reading. I try to keep notes or an outline when I consider it a subject I'm "studying" but I'm not nearly as organized as you. I skip around between history, philosophy, and literature. Oh, and some good mysteries from time to time just for fun.

Oh, and the Book Police... I don't know about warnings for first offenses. I once had to do six months for eating and reading at the same time. I would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for the telltale crumbs.

pm

SK, thanks for sharing. I envy your focus and persistence. Since about 2006 I've been working on developing and clarifying thoughts on my personal philosophy. I've written my thoughts down in a journal with the hope that one day I'll go back and revise, order and rewrite the essence for my journal. I write about the things I want my kids to know but didn't have the (regular) opportunity to discuss. "Ew! Philosophy, Dad? I'd rather play my (insert game system name)." Don't get me wrong. I have great kids who are interested in a wide variety of subjects. They can even tolerate my occasional rants on history and philosophy. (They really do love me!) But I don't get the opportunity to talk with them in any recurring/systematic/organized way to pass on those kind of life lessons.

I've thought about blogging or keeping an online journal like you and Feicht so I could get feedback which would help clarify my thoughts. I haven't though because I'm not that organized or disciplined. As I said, I've been doing this since 2006 and I only have three small journals to show for it and most of what I wrote early on was crap: "Dear Diary, I had a very bad day...." So, I admire you, SK, for your studying and blogging. Keep it up!

pm

Real life has a way of doing that. Hopefully 2012 will give you some more time for your project.