This was a well written history Western European ideas from the Renaissance to the mid 19th century. The authors do a good job at pinning down key moments when political, philosophical, economic, social and religious ideas changed and how this came about. So overwhelming was this revolution in thought that it now underlies western and a lot of the world's culture today. The value and potential of the individual. That is the key cultural gift that western Europe has given the world. ( )

2112 The Western Intellectual Tradition: From Leonardo to Hegel, by J. Bronowski [&] Bruce Maglish (read 26 Nov 1987) I found this book quite absorbing, and not too difficult. It is set up in three parts--"The Expanding World: From Leonardo toe Galileo, 1500-1630" and "The Age of Reasoned Dissent: From Cromwell to Rousseau, 1630-1760" and "The Great Revolutions: From Smith to Hegel, 1760-1780." It is really well-done and I am greatly interested in reading more in intellectual history; it seems more worthwhile reading than some of the reading I do. ( )