Book description
There are many ways to try to improve our lives - we can turn to the
wisdom of philosophers, the teachings of religions or the latest
experiments of psychologists. But we rarely to look to history for
inspiration - and when we do it can be surprisingly powerful. Showing
the lessons that can be learned from the past, cultural historian Roman
Krznaric explores twelve universal topics, from work and love to money
and creativity, and reveals the wisdom that we've been missing. There is
much to be learned from Ancient Greece on relationships, from the
industrial revolution on job satisfaction, and from Ming-dynasty China
on bringing up our children. Just as a Renaissance 'Wunderkammer' was a
curiosity cabinet full of fascinating objects, each with a story behind
it, The Wonderbox is full of stories and ideas from history, each of
which sheds invaluable light on the decisions we make every day, whether
we think about the different uses of the senses or changing attitudes to
time. History is usually read for pleasure or for insight into current
affairs, but The Wonderbox, stepping into the territory of Alain de
Botton and Theodore Zeldin, is 'practical history' - using the past to
think about our day to day lives. There are many ways to try to
improve our lives - we can turn to the wisdom of philosophers, the
teachings of religions or the latest experiments of psychologists. But
we rarely to look to history for inspiration - and when we do it can be
surprisingly powerful. Showing the lessons that can be learned from the
past, cultural historian Roman Krznaric explores twelve universal
topics, from work and love to money and creativity, and reveals the
wisdom that we've been missing. There is much to be learned from Ancient
Greece on relationships, from the industrial revolution on job
satisfaction, and from Ming-dynasty China on bringing up our children.
Just as a Renaissance 'Wunderkammer' was a curiosity cabinet full of
fascinating objects, each with a story behind it, The Wonderbox is full
of stories and ideas from history, each of which sheds invaluable light
on the decisions we make every day, whether we think about the different
uses of the senses or changing attitudes to time. History is usually
read for pleasure or for insight into current affairs, but The
Wonderbox, stepping into the territory of Alain de Botton and Theodore
Zeldin, is 'practical history' - using the past to think about our day
to day lives.
