A History of the World in 100 Objects

"Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were so dim that he could not see." -- 1 Samuel 4:15 (NKJV)Let me address right away the objections that some will have to this outstanding resource:1. The photographs are often dim and unclear. Yup. That's true. But the point of the book is to tell the story of the objects, not to highlight them as things of beauty as might be the case for a painting or a sculpture.2. The electronic version costs a lot more than $9.99 and is almost as much as the hardcover. Yup. I thought that hardcover was inexpensive for what it is. Buy that one if you don't want to spend a lot for your Kindle.If you get past those problems, I think you'll love this book. It's like having several of the world's top authorities on each of 100 objects tell you deep meanings that you wouldn't grasp by visiting the British Museum on your own and staring at the objects.I was very impressed by the selection process, finding objects that convey interesting information at several levels. For instance, an object might tell you something about who made it and how it was used. These objects also have significance in terms of where the elements of the object came from (frequently indicating long-distance trade that you probably wouldn't have expected). Further, aspects of the objects may also reveal something about common human instincts that show up in many different cultures at about the same time. In addition, you get a sense of chronology that you probably didn't know in terms of what each civilization was doing at the same time.While it would be nice if 100 objects would tell all of human history, that's frankly impossible. A more accurate title for the book would probably be something like "Multicultural Dimensions of Human Experience Represented in 100 Objects from the British Museum." So don't let the title lead you to make unrealistic assumptions about the book.To me, a handful of the objects were so fascinating that I would have felt rewarded simply by having those few pages.Here are my favorites:--Olduvai Handaxe--Swimming Reindeer--Ain Sakhri Lovers Figurine--Jomon Pot--Jade Axe--Rhind Mathematical Papyrus--Minoan Bull-leaper--Mold Gold Cape--Chinese Bronze Bell--Ceremonial Ballgame Belt--Sutton Hoo Helmet--Maya Relief of Royal Blood-letting--Vale of York Hoard--Kilwa Pot Sherds--Ife Head--Taino Ritual Seat--Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent--Ming Banknote--Jade Dragon Cup--Mechanical Galleon--Kakiemon Elephants--Akan Drum--Hawaiian Feather Helmet--North American Buckskin Map--Australian Bark Shield--Jade Bi--Hokusai's The Great Wave--Suffragette-defaced Penny--Russian Revolutionary Plate--Throne of WeaponsWhen you get the book, see what you think.I particularly liked the way that commenting scholars were selected who should have a superior cultural and historical perspective on the objects.One of my sons and his wife work in a well-known museum. I've recommended the book to them as a way to gain perspective on how to tell a collection's story in more complete and compelling ways.Bravo, Director MacGregor!

Almost new!

Reading this book is like taking a tour of the British Museum. The author presents 100 objects from the British Museum and presents their stories and their significance in world history. The objects are presented in roughly historical order and also grouped according to several themes, and the author points out some common threads that are woven through this history.One of the best parts of reading this book is encountering little-known facts, people, and cultural artifacts which one doesn't usually find in a textbook-style presentation of world history.Overall I found this to be a very enjoyable read, easy to pick up and put down again, and I tended to read this during spare moments or a few chapters in the evening after work.Perhaps the only "weakness" of this book is that as the book moves from object to object, there is not necessarily a coherent story line, and so I did not tend to feel drawn on to the next chapter.Note also that the pictures in this book are in nice, high-resolution color. (Of course, not all Kindle models can display color.)

I stumbled on this book on Amazon, read all the reviews, and couldn't decide if I was ready to spend the money - there were concerns that the picture quality is not so good. So I decided to download the free podcast first and see if I like the program in the first place. (Make sure to download them from BBC's website or iTunes - They are free mp3s and you can burn them onto a CD, instead of buying the overpriced audiobook version)I listen to the program when I commute to/from work, and I absolutely love the program, so much that I look forward to getting into the car in the morning. So I ordered this book the next day. I read somewhere that the British Museum and BBC spent 4 years making the program. There are plenty other reviews here talking about the content itself, so I will focus on the quality of the book.As mentioned earlier, I was concerned that some reviews mentioned the picture quality was not so good. I completely disagree. The book itself is very handsome and would look good on any bookshelf. The pages are thick and matte, and you can tell the paper is of very nice quality. In fact, the paper quality is higher than any other hardcover i own. All pictures are taken against a black background. Some of the objects have more than one picture, taken from different angles or of close-up views. For example, if there are inscriptions on an item, there will usually be an additional picture showing a close-up view of the inscriptions.I listen to several programs a day without looking at the pictures first. Using MacGregor's vivid description, I conjure up images of these items in my head. As soon as I get home, I flip through the book to look at the actual pictures. I find that I have a much deeper appreciation for these images when I have a thorough understanding of the objects in them.If you are interested in history, you will love this book like I do.