When you need advice about your car, you talk to a mechanic. If you need financial advice, you speak with a banker. What should you do if you want to learn from history? Read this essay from the husband and wife duo that produced a massive 10 volume history of civilization!

The Lessons of History meanders through a variety of topics: religion, morality, war, and race to name a few. While I obviously don’t agree with all of their conclusions—the chapter on race was unnerving, and they viewed religion as a purely natural phenomenon—they approached each topic with respect and a wealth of illustrative knowledge.

In the last chapter, the authors questioned whether or not progress is real. While the point could be argued both ways, each age is richer for having that much more history to explore.

Durant, Will and Ariel Durant. The Lessons of History. Simon and Schuster, 1968.