West Civilization

Western Civilization transformed the world through reason, freedom, progress, individualism, ingenuity, and the great experiment known as America. America is not all good, but we're losing what is good because we're afraid to claim it. As though somehow it's shameful to honor such an imperfect country. But the beauty of America is that we're founded on perfect ideals. And as short of those ideals as we sometimes fall, we never stop striving to attain them. That's what we need to honor. That's what we don't want to lose.

In a time of mythical beasts and powerful gods, tales of heroism and mankind's beginnings proliferated through the ancient world and endured for centuries thereafter. From the origins of the universe, to the creation of man, Greek mythology has formed the bedrock of Western culture and civilization. Its influence has captivated people for thousands of years and traces remain everywhere, from our literature, films, and everyday language.

In this innovative and compelling work of environmental history, Philipp Blom chronicles the great climate crisis of the 1600s, a crisis that would transform the entire social and political fabric of Europe. While hints of a crisis appeared as early as the 1570s, by the end of the 16th century the temperature plummeted so drastically that Mediterranean harbours were covered with ice, birds literally dropped out of the sky and ‘frost fairs’ were erected on a frozen Thames - with kiosks, taverns and even brothels that became a semipermanent part of the city.

What do Aristotle, Buddha, Seneca, Nietzsche, Kabbalah, and Plato, have in common? They worked tirelessly toward understanding and enlightenment. Walk the path of the great thinkers of the past with History of Philosophy: Overview of Eastern Philosophy, Western Philosophy, and the Most Important Thinkers through the Ages. War, innovation, courage, and revolution shaped the world as it is today, but the great philosophers of the past shaped our thoughts, religions, and minds. They worked as teachers, spiritual leaders, and scholars to harness the power of logic and critical thinking, creating a foundation of thought that led to humankind's understanding of the unity of life and the universe.