The Discoverers

A History of Man's Search to Know His World and Himself

By: Daniel J. Boorstin

Narrated by: Christopher Cazenove

Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Daniel J. Boorstin, former librarian of the Library of Congress, gives a fascinating history of world civilization. From astronomical development, microscopes, telescopes, medicine, vaccines, genetics and map-making, the author delves into the discoveries of our world and the freedoms those discoveries bestowed. With the breadth and depth of this study, Boorstin relieves the world of its fictitious beliefs and encourages a more modern and scientific approach to the world around us. Discovery is not the main event: convincing people to accept the facts as a new way of life is the key to the growth of mankind.

©1985 Daniel J. Boorstin (P)2003 Phoenix

Great book with terrible audio

I loved this book and would definitely recommend it however it is pretty hard to ignore the terrible audio quality. the narrator does a great job but it sounds like it's being read through a cardboard tube or like there is a metal trashcan over his head. it is worth listening to despite the bad sound quality

Wish it was the whole book.

It summarizes the sections of the book well, but I would rather have the whole work. The audio sounds like an old radio broadcast.

This One has Good Audio

I don't know why Audible has two versions of this book on its site, but this version has good audio, while the other version does not. (Just try listening to the samples and you can easily tell the difference.) As for the book content itself: I read this book almost 20 years ago and thought it was time for another try. At that time I found it both enlightening and frustrating, and I think that sums it up still. Boorstin's insights are illuminating and sometimes profound, but his nonlinear writing style, jumping from concept to concept and sometimes century to century, makes it difficult at times to understand his argument.

Fascinating scholarship conveyed in simple and clear

Unusual selection of topics which fit together into a seemingly inevitable pattern of time, cosmology and chemistry and then social sviences and economics.

The Audible version is abridged

A very enjoyable narrative of world history organized in four sub-categories: the measurement of time, geography, scientific discovery, and cultural development.

My copy of the book was printed 1985 and is 745 pages. The Audible version is abridged, though the description does not indicate this anywhere. In addition, the four sub-categories are further divided into 15 total sub-parts and 82 total sections. The Audible Chapter list contains only 5 unnamed chapters. This makes it very difficult to match up the text with the audio.

Good book, didn't realize it was abridged...

Very interesting thought provoking book. I bought the audio version to listen along while I read, but didn't realize that it was an abridged audiobook (it only says "abridged" in the extra details)... Very disappointed that I can't read along while I listen without trying to figure out where I am in the book.

An interesting miscellany

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

the parts about science and technology were most interesting to me. The section on timekeeping, calendars, clocks held my attention. The sections about various theorists and economists tended to drag.

Any additional comments?

Interesting but didn't seem to hold together thematically....I didn't listen to the whole book.

ABRIDGED

the book is not classified as being abridged, but it is indeed. still a very interesting listen but very unlike the text.

Excellent primary for more in depth study

Great narration. Interesting, insightful summary. Worthwhile listen. A great documentary of ideas in science and exploration.

Very interesting read

The book flew by. Can't wait to get into the next 2 in the series. Lots of meaningful and interesting history of the world in this book. I wasn't sure how I'd like it, but it was great! Reader is very well spoken and has excellent vocabulary and pronunciation of all the historical names and places of several different languages.