Review: The Scientific Revolution: The Best One-Hour History by Robert Freeman

Title: The Scientific Revolution: The Best One-Hour History
Author: Robert Frost
Publication: August 15th 2013 by Kendall Lane Publishers
Genre: Nonfiction ~ History
Cover Rating: 4/5
Overall Rating: 5/5

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Scientific Revolution is the story of how Europeans broke out of the intellectual stagnation of the Middle Ages. It details the limitations of the Aristotelian system and the way that a new “scientific method” proved superior. It discusses the surprising roles that religion played in science’s early years and concludes with a brief tour through the major fields of science and the scientists who founded them. The Best One-Hour History series is for those who want a quick but coherent overview of major historical events. It will also serve those who need a competent high-level introduction before going further. Each volume provides a clear and concise account of the episode under discussion. In about an hour, the reader will obtain a well-grounded understanding of why each subject holds iconic status in Western Civilization.

My Thoughts:

Thanks to the awesome people at Smith Publicity for sending me review copies, I had to chance to review this book (together with The Protestant Reformation, which I have read and reviewed already.) 

The Scientific Revolution: The Best One-Hour History by Robert Freeman was another brilliant, interesting and informative book that the history nerd inside of me devoured quickly.

I've already read three of The Best One-Hour History books now but I am so happy to say that I still think they're amazing. The Scientific Revolution would be my second favorite (the first one being The Renaissance). It was full of very informative material and I've come across some very compelling quotes to which I will feature below. 
But I must admit that for reviewing these books I've reached the point of 'what else can I say about these books?' because they've been all positive for me so far. I don't like repeating myself but still I want to keep reading these, or at least the ones that are about the era's in history that I'm interested in.

I've always been interested in this subject, the Scientific Revolution. Without all these events happening we would clearly not be living as we do today, that's for sure. I loved learning more about how it slowly came to be, not because of one person, but several. It also shows how people can change and not let one institute be in control. 

Oh, and I also like the appendix at the end and the timeline too!

Favorite Quotes:

If we were to characterize the Scientific Revolution in the sparest phrasing possible, it might be this: "Theory and Evidence Replaced Faith and Authority.

A second consequence of the Scientific Revolution was the elevation of the status of the individual above that of the organization. For the first time ever; a lone individual—a Copernicus, a Harvey, a Newton, a Darwin—could wield more influence than the most powerful organization on earth.

A final change was in man's conception of himself. Prior to the Scientific Revolution, Western people saw themselves standing at the apex of creation, children of an omnipotent God, created in that God's image, and placed in the center of that God's universe. It was an amazingly ennobling vision—man as a small scale version of God. But science banished humans forever from that lofty position, making them just another small animal on another small planet orbiting another small star in another small galaxy in an inconceivable infinite universe.

About The Author:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Robert Freeman teaches the Modern European History AP course at Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California. His classes are among the highest performing in the nation on the annual College Board Advanced Placement Examination in Modern European History.

He is formerly Vice President of International Marketing at Sybase and the founder of the national non-profit, One Dollar For Life. He holds a B.S. Degree in Economics from Santa Clara University and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Check out my other reviews by Robert Freeman:

The Renaissance

The Protestant Reformation

Review: The Protestant Reformation: The Best One-Hour History by Robert Freeman

Title: The Protestant Reformation: The Best One-Hour History
Author: Robert Freeman
Publication: September 19th 2013 by Kendall Lane Publishers/Smith Publicity
Genre: Nonfiction | History
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N
Cover Rating: 4/5
Overall Rating: 5/5 

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Protestant Reformation looks at one of the greatest upheavals of the Western world. It starts with the context of the time and the provocation of Indulgences. It goes on to explain Luther’s “protest,” its theological implications, how the protest escalated, and the Catholic Church’s response. It concludes with an analysis of how the Reformation helped launch the modern age. The Best One-Hour History series is for those who want a quick but coherent overview of major historical events. It will also serve those who need a competent high-level introduction before going further. Each volume provides a clear and concise account of the episode under discussion. In about an hour, the reader will obtain a well-grounded understanding of why each subject holds iconic status in Western Civilization.

~My Thoughts:

The Protestant Reformation is the second one in this nonfction One-Hour History books that I've read. I first read and reviewed The Renaissance and simply loved it. So when they asked me if I wanted to review more I said yes, of course and asked for this one and The Scientific Revolution, which I should be reading soon.

Now I might not know a lot about this topic, though things like this have always intrigued me, I did like knowing and learning more. I especially liked the bit towards the end about Holland and Belgium, since duh, I live in Belgium. I didn't know these things so once again I have learned some new interesting things. And I agree that without Luther we probably wouldn't have our modern world like it is now.

The things I like about these One-Hour History books is how much information Robert Freeman gives us, yet it can be read in less than an hour. It amazes me. And the author is obviously very skilled at these kind of things. I love it. And though there's a lot of information, it's not like it gets boring. Not for me anyway, I love nonfictions like this. 


All in all, The Protestant Reformation is very intriguing One-Hour History written and told in a interesting, quick and informative way. I would recommend this to anyone interesting in this topic or just anyone who loves learning more about history. Another five stars absolutely earned!

Also I must say that I'm very excited for the upcoming titles: Ancient Greece, Rome and The Middle Ages. Those three are in my top ten of favorite historical eras!

About The Author:

Robert Freeman teaches the Modern European History AP course at Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California. His classes are among the highest performing in the nation on the annual College Board Advanced Placement Examination in Modern European History. >br/>
He is formerly Vice President of International Marketing at Sybase and the founder of the national non-profit, One Dollar For Life. He holds a B.S. Degree in Economics from Santa Clara University and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Review: The Renaissance: The Best One-Hour History by Robert Freeman

Title: The Renaissance: The Best One-Hour History
Author: Robert Freeman
Publication: September 26th 2013 by Kendall Lane Publishers 
Genre: Non-Fiction
Format: e-book from NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository
Cover Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

   

The Renaissance occurred when Europe awoke from a thousand-year slumber. It rediscovered its classical roots in Greece and Rome. This book explains this startling "rebirth," beginning with its origins in the breakdown of the Middle Ages. It examines exemplars in arts and letters, and the wholly new institutions that emerged. Finally, it considers the critical questions of why these events occurred where and when they did.

This book is also available on Kindle and will soon be in audio format as well.

The Best One-Hour History series is for those who want a quick but coherent overview of major historical events. It will also serve those who need a competent high-level introduction before going further. Each of the 20 books in the series provides a clear, concise and compelling account of the episode under discussion. In about an hour, the reader will obtain a satisfying understanding of why each subject holds iconic status in Western Civilization.

~My Thoughts:

(sorry that the review is so short but that's usually the case about non-fiction books with me. This doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it immensely.)

I don't read a lot of non-fiction books but when I do it's usually about Ancient Egypt or Ancient Greece. That kind of stuff. But I've also always been vastly interested in the Renaissance, so when I saw The Renaissance: The Best One-Hour History on NetGalley I requested it immediately because lately I've been into history mood, watching a lot documentaries and wanting to read about it, too. Unfortunately good, quick, non-fictions like this book are hard to find but I plan on reading more of these On-Hour History things. Love it!

So one of the great things about The Renaissance: The Best One-Hour History is that (obviously) it can be read in one hour. I think it didn't even took me that long to read. So it's pretty quick but it summed up all about the Renaissance perfectly. I got a lot of information about it. Some I knew, some I didn't and I absorbed it all, at some times even surprised by how really interested I was in it all. Like I said normally I go for the time that went before the Renaissance but if we talk art wise than it's my favorite. I also loved how the Dark Ages were really dark in the meaning of not really evolving because of the Church and how in the Renaissance people were more open in the way they thought, the way art blossomed and how the first books got printed.


All in all, I loved this book. It was written in a way that wasn't going to slow or too fast. It was just right. A lot of interesting facts + this awesome timeline at the end. A quick, fascination, non-fiction that will interest anyone who is intrigued by all things about the Renaissance. 

Favorite Quotes:

Civilizations are born. Civilizations die. And sometimes─very rarely─they go to sleep and then reawaken.

Indeed, that is what "renaissance" means: "Rebirth."

Humanism captured the imagination of Petrarch's city of Florence and quickly spread through the rest of northern Italy and eventually to all of the learned circles in Europe. It was especially influential in France, the Dutch and Flemish Low Countries, and in England. It affected art, sculpture, architecture, literature, law, theology, indeed, the entire intellectual edifice of European life.

God created man last, said Mirandolla, so that man could contemplate all the rest of God's creation and revel in its beauty.

About The Author:

Robert Freeman teaches the Modern European History AP course at Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California. His classes are among the highest performing in the nation on the annual College Board Advanced Placement Examination in Modern European History. >br/>
He is formerly Vice President of International Marketing at Sybase and the founder of the national non-profit, One Dollar For Life. He holds a B.S. Degree in Economics from Santa Clara University and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Twitter | Website

Renaissance art mentioned in the book: