Comments for sursumcorda.salemsattic.com/post/looking-back-2010-resolution-1

Comment #2298

2011-01-12T14:16:41Z

I think the SWB book will be on my summer reading list. We'll be back to Ancients next year, so it would be a good resource for me.

Comment #2297

2011-01-11T15:54:07Z

I liked it. I'm terrible at history, having not discovered until many years out of school that it could actually be very interesting. Thus I'm not a good judge of history books. But I started with Bauer's history books for children (The Story of the World in four volumes) and learned enough from that and other sources to want to dig into something heavier. This book, though large, is quite accessible. My only complaint comes from a feature that I also like: She attempts to cover many different areas of the world. It's wonderful trying to get a feel for how different civilizations advanced (in similar and different ways), and what was going on in different parts of the world at the same time. But on the negative side, I did sometimes feel as if I were overdosing on battles and political intrigue, and my brain does not yet have enough discernment to distinguish one Chinese leader's name from another for more than a few minutes.

It actually took several times of listening to the children's version (I had them as audiobooks) for things to begin to stick for me, so I'm sure I'd be better off if I read this more than once. But that's not going to happen anytime soon. Still, I think it is a good building block in the foundation of history I'm trying to acquire.

Rome! How cool. Have a wonderful time. Someday maybe I'll take a side trip from Switzerland and get there, but even all those museums can't compare with the attraction of a real, live grandchild. :)

Comment #2296

2011-01-11T15:20:01Z

What did you think of this one?

The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome by Susan Wise Bauer

I'm on an ancient history kick, preparing for our next trip to Rome...

Thanks

Comment #2295

2011-01-09T14:39:07Z

That might be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but I'll keep my eyes open. I did try my on-line sources, but no luck (nothing really cheaper than what you saw).

Comment #2294

2011-01-09T10:16:51Z

I didn't count it because I didn't finish it, despite reading all the way to the airport. Poor planning—if I'd started the book 30, or even 15 minutes earlier I could have done it. :(

At the time, I thought it would be easy enough to get the book from a library to complete it, but that's proving harder than I thought. WorldCat says the nearest copy is in Athens, Ohio. At the moment, Amazon's best offer is $13, which is more than I'm willing to pay to read the last couple of chapters of a book I found interesting but not worth keeping.

Maybe I should call in my favorite library book sale haunter. :)

Comment #2293

2011-01-09T08:17:28Z

You forgot "Farang, the Sequel"