Michael H. Hart

Interesting book. This author did his best and it is very thought provoking. He does voice his own speculations and misgivings and why he decided on the selections, whether we agree or not with it all it is fascinating.

My favorite history reference, this is Michael Hart's take on the 100 most influential persons in history. Not the best, not the most admirable, although those would also be interesting lists. This is a list graded by influence, with specific rules by the author. Each person is presented with a mini-biography and the author's reasons for placing said person. Includes a list of honorable mentions and statistics on the 100. Entirely subjective and open to argument (which is a lot of fun), but show more as it happens, I find no fault with the author's selection of the first ten. Would love to see a more up-to-date list. I'm sure Bill Gates would find a high spot, and other positions might shift based on the recent collapse of Soviet Communism. show less

I had a few problems with this fellow's picks for Most Influential Persons in History. For one thing, three of the hundred were American presidents! That seems a little slanted! Also, the author openly states that he has only chosen one writer and one artist because writers and artists---get this---don't influence anyone except other writers and artists! It was fun just to see who he picked, to think who I'd pick, and to ask my family who they would pick. I didn't count this book in my total show more for the year as I only browsed through much of it. show less

While one may not agree with Hart's rankings, this is a fascinating book. I learn something every time I pick it up