Western Civilization (Paperback: 356 pages)

A brief history indeed

By Randy  Dec 13, 2006

Pros: Lightweight, both physical and intellectual with few surprises.

Cons: The paper would make adequate toilet paper if softened by crumpling and rolling in hands prior to use.

I was aghast when told I would be paying $80.00+ for a paperback book, of poor quality even for a paperback...the pages are not even glossy...looks like some kind of 30 ply toilet paper from the Soviet Era or the DoE's TFPPPSS (Dept. of Education...'s Toilet Facility Paper Products Procurement Specification Sheet). Seriously though, the book has some good points but Perry breaks up not only the periods, he also breaks up the various achievements and happenings in the periods, yet is weak on supplying contest or relevant dates or even anything approaching a comprehensive timeline, which I found made it impossible to determine what was happening when in relation to other civilizations or even to other elements within Western Civilization. I would strongly suggest that the serious student protest the Textbook Scam being perpetrated on the taxpaying public by publishers and college administrators and purchase the book online in any condition for as little as possible...the only way I found the course comprehensible was by surfing Wikipedia, and if you have a smattering of knowledge, say high school history, you could easily skip the book and study other sources...afterall it is a well worn topic, and as an editorial aside, an artificial leftover of the much debunked and defunk periodization view of history espoused by the 'great man' camp; certainly an antiquated way of viewing historical events and concepts rightly rejected in modern serious study. Read more Less