Book: How the Scots Invented the Modern World
Subtitle: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World & Everything in It
Author: Arthur Herman, Ph.D in History from John Hopkins University
Book has:-
- Occasional footnotes
- Sources and Guide for Further Reading (431-450)
- Acknowledgements (451-452)
- Index: (453-472)
Originally Published: 2001
It was a gift, a year or two ago, from my youngest daughter at university in Montreal.
Prior to reading the book, I had watched a series of university-level lectures on 'Great Minds of the Western Intellectual Tradition' and 'Great Ideas of Philosophy.' The foregoing made the references to Lord Kames, Adam Smith, David Hume and other participants in the 'Scottish Enlightment' a bit easier to understand in their context.
Early in the book, there is reference to the Scottish attempt to build the Panama canal, starting with the Darien Company around 1695 - Scotland was probably the first trading nation to recognise the potential of a canal and its best location. This was long before the French, English or others had taken any steps in this regard. The plan went bust, thanks in part to some 'interference,' and the country of Scotland almost went bankrupt in the attempt.
I have some friends (now in their early 40's) from Panama who had never heard of the early Scots adventures when they were taught 'history' at their Panamanian schools!
I'm less than halfway through the book, but, for someone who has only recently "discovered" reading, I am enjoying it, and expect to complete it in maybe a couple of weeks. I'm reserving judgement on the book's title and subtitle until later.
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